An Order Divided Book 1: Fall
by DarthWriter76
Summary: What would have happened if General Grievous died in the battle over Coruscant? In this AU story, it kick starts a stunning chain of events that bring about the fall of one of the most powerful Jedi ever, and it divides not only the galaxy, but the Jedi Order itself... (Rated T for death) Note: Finished! Sort of...
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is not the kind of story that I have been intending to do on this site. AU has never really been my thing, but the idea I got just really excited me. The first few chapters might be a bit boring, as they are very similar to events from Revenge of the Sith. However, things should start to get very interesting later on. A plan this to be a novel sized thing, about 100,000 words. After that, I will start the second book. The series will be at least three books when it is finished. Please provide feedback, as I have no experience writing something this long, and no experience with AU. I hope it turns out well, and that you all like it!

Second Author's note: In terms of canon (since that is a big deal for me) this includes a few references to Legends canon. These are minor things, like Kit Fisto's troops being aqua colored (From TCW web comic "Hunting the Hunters II"), the existence of the planet Botajef (From "Star Wars Legacy 41: Rogue's End"), and even the Tactical Droid TR-86 (Easter egg from my other, in progress story, "The Tibanna Crisis"). However, it doesn't really fit into either canon, since Grievous dies earlier, and all sorts of interesting things happen as a result.

Bridge of the Invisible Hand, Coruscant airspace

Status: Chaotic

General Grievous leaps onto the lower part of the bridge, attempting to make his escape. His plans have failed miserably. The Chancellor has been saved, Dooku is dead, and now his own life is in danger. Of course, he can still escape. All he has to do is get off the bridge, and into an escape pod. Suddenly, Kenobi jumps down in front of him.

He turns to go the other way, only to see Skywalker directly in front of him. If both Jedi are focusing on him, it would be logical to conclude that the magnaguards are destroyed. But Grievous can get away. The Jedi cannot survive in a vacuum, unlike him. From the exterior of the ship, he could reach the escape pod bay. Using an electrostaff that he picked up at some point, he smashes the transparisteel viewport.

Nothing happens. He looks at his staff, from its cylindrical durasteel handle, where his hands are, to the long shaft that connects to its tip, to the sparkling purple tip at the end, only to see Kenobi's lightsaber, pushing against the tip, blocking the strike. "You won't get away this time, General!" The bold Jedi says, practically spitting the words out.

Grievous takes a step back, getting into a ready stance. His two arms split to four, and each one grabs one of the lightsabers magnetically attached to his durasteel waist. All four activate at the same time, two going for Kenobi, two for Skywalker.

Kenobi blocks both of the attacks, his blade wasting no time in deflecting. His younger counterpart blocks both attacks as well, holding Grievous in a blade lock. The cybernetic warlord steps toward Kenobi in a way that, as Skywalker pursues, both Jedi stand in front of him, side-by-side. From this position, Grievous makes both the Jedi work against each other, each getting in the way of the other.

The only problem is that this doesn't work. They act as a team, as if they spent years training together. They don't get in each other's way at all, and they know exactly what their ally will do next.

When Kenobi goes vertical, Skywalker goes horizontal, and vise versa. The two Jedi fight like nothing that Grievous has ever seen before. Hours upon hours of analyzation, and Grievous cannot predict Kenobi one bit. Skywalker knows Kenobi's moves instinctively.

It is only a matter of time before Skywalker comes in at a weird angle, severing both of his left arms. In his shock of how bad things are going, he barely dodges Skywalker's follow-up strike at the head.

As he moves back, he literally trips over Kenobi's blade. His legs are cut off at the knees, so he falls on his back, both the Jedi standing over him. He can see Skywalker's grim smile, and the equally annoying casual face that Obi-Wan puts on, almost looking disinterested.

He desperately swings up at Kenobi, but the experienced Jedi dodges back, then cuts off the arm, as it extending too far. Grievous would never try such a foolish move, as extending his arm that far ruined his defensive coverage. Still it was his only shot. A similar move done to Skywalker is met with the same result, and the defeated general, who now has no intact limbs accepts that he has been defeated. Both Jedi point their lightsabers down at his neck, preventing him from moving.

A grim smile appears behind his mask at the humor when he tells himself that it will never happen again.

"You have won, Jedi! I admit it. Still, not even you could save all of the Jedi that I killed. Consider the purpose in my life fulfilled. You can end it now, Jedi, but know that I shall die successful," Grievous says. He considers begging for mercy, slightly increasing his chances of being taken alive, instead of being killed. Normally, he would fight to stay alive, hope for a rescue. But now, it is too late. The CIS has lost. Dooku is dead, they are relentlessly driven back on all fronts, and the only warrior powerful enough to save him is himself.

If he were not captive, he might be able to turn the tide, and save prisoners such as himself. But he cannot do anything until he is freed. And he cannot be freed. It is over. So, he decides it is best to make sure that he doesn't die begging for mercy. Perhaps, though, he might have been able to fight long enough to prevent the Jedi from surviving. His fighting, he realizes, will buy time for the ship to be damaged, and the Jedi will go down with the ship.

"Do it, Anakin," he hears Palpatine say from somewhere else.

"You did it to Dooku, you can do it to Grievous. Think of all the Jedi he has killed," Palpatine says, while Kenobi urges him not to take another life.

Grievous sees the evil in the Jedi's eyes, and he knows that Skywalker will obey. He remembers the names, the faces too, all that he killed and he knows that so many of them anger Skywalker. He thinks of the time he choked his padawan, Ahsoka, or left Kenobi with painful injuries. The time he tortured Eeth Koth. He regrets none of it.

He wishes that the Jedi standing before him could reach the same fate, and it isn't unlikely that his efforts will cause it. Even if they don't die in the crash, one day, he knows, the corrupt, pitiful, Jedi Order will fall, or at least take a major beating. He wishes that he could see it, or even do it. He wishes he could see old, corrupt Jedi Master Yoda finally die, or Mace Windu finally meet a fury greater than his own.

He knows he never will. He sees the look in Skywalker's face. He can almost imagine the Jedi thinking of his friends. The Jedi that he killed. Grievous feels pride come over him as he thinks about it.

Then, he knows that his time is up. He sees it in Anakin, he sees the regret of Obi-Wan as the Jedi Master considers the monster he created. "Do. It. Now," Palpatine says.

Then, it all ends for Grievous.

Bridge of the Invisible Hand, Coruscant atmosphere

Status: Releived

His durasteel head falls to the ground, and Anakin smiles. "We did it, master."

"He would have made an unarmed prisoner," Obi-Wan says, not knowing that he was echoing Anakin's own words from just a few minutes earlier.

Then they look out the viewport, and see that the ship is falling through the atmosphere, only a fourth of the doomed vessel remaining. "Well, too late to land this thing. To the escape pods!"

"There's very little time, and given our previous experience with turbolifts..." Obi-Wan points out.

"Well, then. You wanna go Grievous style," he asks, pointing to the viewport.

"We'll die out there. It's not a vacuum, but with air resistance, we'll burn up."

Both Jedi frown at their rather anticlimactic situation.

"I... might have an idea," Palpatine says quietly.

"Can you use the Force to stabilize the ship and slow our descent?" he asks, already knowing the answer that the Jedi will give.

"We can, but I sincerely doubt that we are powerful enough to do it," Obi-Wan says. Palpatine thinks. He knows that he can do it, and give the Jedi enough aid to pull it off. He will definitely have to be careful, though.

"Well, it is our only shot. I will once again, put my faith in you, Master Jedi," he says. After a long pause, the Jedi agree. "We will do our best, Palpatine, but I can guarantee nothing," Obi-Wan says, and Palpatine smiles. The two Jedi open themselves to the Force, and try to do their best. "I'll do my best with the controls," Palpatine says, as he moves into the seat and begins to work on stabilizing and slowing down the ship.

Of course, it isn't the only thing he does. Ever so slightly, he nudges in the Force, helping steer the ship. He mainly focuses on hiding the effort, clouding himself in the Force. Obi-Wan and Anakin show no signs of surprise, and from what he can tell, they both are unaware of his aid.

He continues to steer the ship, and it soon looks like they will make it.

He transmits a code saying that they are Republic, and soon, Fire Control ships start spraying the fire off of the ship. With a painful screech, they finally come to a stop on the landing strip. "We did it," is all that a surprised Anakin can say.

About 10 minutes later

Galactic Senate, Landing platform

Status: Happy

Anakin is overjoyed, to say the least. Grievous is dead, Dooku is dead, and they have almost won. He, Palpatine, and Obi-Wan step off of the shuttle as heroes as they arrive at the Senate. Almost all of the Senators have come to greet them, and it is what Obi-Wan describes as "A glorious day with the politicians."

The Chancellor comes out first, followed by both him and Obi-Wan. In addition to the senators, Mace Windu has come out to greet the Jedi. With a smile, Palpatine says, "Senators, I am happy to say that CIS leaders Count Dooku and General Grievous have both been killed."

The greeting party erupts in applause, some even yelling triumphant cries at the news.

Palpatine steps into the crowd of people, joining his senatorial peers. Mace is the first to calm down and speak. "We have struck a critical blow to the CIS, but they won't surrender easily. We will need to track down the Separatist leaders and the droid shutdown codes before this war can truly end."

Anakin and Obi-Wan step off the shuttle, followed by his faithful astromech R2-D2. Obi-Wan quietly says to Anakin, "I need to deliver the report to the council. You can stay here and enjoy this day with the politicians."

"You can stay here. We both defeated General Grievous," Anakin says.

"Well, someone has to deliver the report to the Council, and you were the one who defeated Count Dooku," is Obi-Wan's response, and Anakin can feel the tone that tells him that the decision is final.

"Just know that I still have saved your life for the ninth time, even if you don't count Cato Neimoidia," Anakin says, smiling. Obi-Wan only sighs as he heads back to the shuttle.

Anakin steps into the crowd, and Bail Organa, the senator from Alderaan, is the first to greet him."How long do you think it will be until the war ends?" Bail asks him.

"I think the Separatist leaders will retreat, cower and hide, in the Outer Rim. As soon as they are found, they should be brought down fairly easily, but the war will continue in full force until they are captured, and we receive the droid deactivation codes," Anakin says, Bail Organa nodding through his explanation.

"Well, may the Force be with our intelligence forces," Bail Organa says, laughing.

"Yes, indeed." It is then when Anakin sees Padmé, standing off to the side. "Excuse me Senator," he says, already walking off towards Padmé. They are somewhat away from the crowd, and actually have bit of peace.

As soon as Anakin reaches her, they hug, kiss, and after that, she finally says, "Oh, Anakin. It is so good having you back. They were whispers... that you'd been killed."

"No, I'm fine Padmé. The CIS has yet to bring me down, and by the looks of it, they aren't going to do to much more ever," Anakin says, happy and confident.

Then, Anakin sees it in her face. He sees that something has changed. He senses it in the Force. Something has changed. He hears it in her voice. Something has changed. "Padmé. Something... Something is different. What is going on? What's troubling you?"

"Anakin, I... I... Fine, there is something that I have to tell you. Something that I have hidden for about eight months now. Hidden it from you, from the Senate, and from everyone else. Anakin... I'm pregnant."

Both of them simply stand still, for the next few seconds. In midst of all the thoughts swirling in his head, all the joy, all fear, even all of the confusion, he says, "That... that's wonderful!"

"You know what this means, don't you? Things are going to be exposed. We can have a secret marriage, but not a secret baby," she says, knowing Anakin is thinking the same exact thing.

"We can think about this later," she finally says, and a worried, confused, and happy at the same time Anakin leaves, considering what will happen next.


	2. Chapter 2

Jedi Temple Speeder #36

Status: Eager

Obi-Wan and Mace fly back to the Jedi Temple in silence. Mace knows that all will be explained at the council meeting, so he sees no point in having to make Obi-Wan say everything twice. Once they arrive, they hurry to the Council chambers. Mace sits down, and Obi-Wan stands in the center, ready to give his report.

"All things considered, Masters, the mission was a complete success. After we boarded Grievous's flagship, we found the Chancellor, killed Count Dooku, got captured by Grievous, killed Grievous, took over the ship, and landed safely.

Anakin defeated Dooku one-on-one, as I was knocked unconscious early in the fight. Anakin rescued the Chancellor once Dooku was killed, and carried me until I returned to consciousness. After that, Grievous captured us and took us to the bridge. We freed ourselves, and engaged Grievous in a lightsaber duel. We successfully disarmed Grievous, and with Palpatine's urging, Anakin killed Grievous. It sounds as if that same exact thing happened to Dooku.

After that, the ship had nearly crashed, so we stabilized it with the Force. We knew that we likely weren't powerful enough, but somehow, we managed to land safely," Obi-Wan says. He waits for a few seconds, allowing the council to take everything in. After that, he sits down.

"Most distressing, this is. To have Skywalker kill to unarmed prisoners, a great fall he seems to have taken. The Jedi way, it is not," Yoda says, slowly.

"It is not the Jedi way, but I can understand his perspective. Even unarmed, Dooku and Grievous are dangerous prisoners. By killing them, Skywalker may have secured the CIS's fate," Mace Windu says, earning a grim stare from Yoda.

Plo Koon speaks next, saying, "Even so, killing unarmed prisoners is not the Jedi way. Especially doing it twice. We must watch Skywalker carefully, before he goes too far down the Dark Path."

"Perhaps, then," Shaak Ti says, "We shouldn't have him spy on the Chancellor. If darkness is taking hold of him, a controversial assignment like that will only shake his trust in the Order." The Jedi consider it. The had originally planned to have Anakin secretly report all of the Chancellor's deeds, but such a concept could bring about his separation from the Order.

"A risky idea in the first place, this was. Seeing the extent of Skywalker's hatred, changed my mind it has. Make him spy on the Chancellor, we should not," Yoda finally says.

"I agree," Shaak Ti says.

"I," Obi-Wan says, stating his agreement.

"I." It is Ki-Adi Mundi.

"I." Plo Koon.

"I." Agen Kolar.

"Settled, it is," Yoda says. Normally, seven votes are needed to secure an issue, but since the council currently only has eleven members, six is fine.

The next morning

Yoda's quarters

Status: Curious

Yoda is very much surprised at the fact that Anakin has requested to speak with him privately. He is, if anything, happy about the appointment, though. He has seen it recently, that Anakin is troubled by... something. If he has finally decided to talk about it, Yoda and the rest of the Jedi will finally be able to help Anakin.

"Premonitions. Premonitions," he says considering what Anakin is saying. The information helps. Anakin is troubled by a vision of the future, at least in part. "These visions, you have, tell me about them, will you?"

"They are dark. Of pain, suffering, and death, in what may be the near future." Yoda considers this. It makes sense. If the visions were happy, or positive, Anakin would not be troubled. Still, he needs more information.

"The pain, does it come to yourself, or..." he asks.

"Someone else." Anakin says. This helps Yoda, but still, he needs to know even more if he wants to help Anakin.

"Someone... Close to you?" he asks slowly.

"Yes," is all Anakin says.

"Tell me who it is, can you?" Yoda asks, wondering if he is digging too far. Anakin responds only with silence. It makes sense. To admit a name would be admitting whatever attachment he has.

"A Jedi?" he asks, hoping for a little bit more information.

"No," is all Anakin says. Yoda knows that at this point Anakin will say no more. All Yoda can do now is give advice.

"Beware, Anakin. The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side. Your feelings, keep them in check, you must. Remember the code, you must. No emotion, there is. Only peace. Attachment leads to jealousy, the shadow of greed, that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose, and a great Jedi, you will become," is all that Yoda can say. Now, all he can do is hope that Anakin follows his advice.

3 hours later

Yoda's quarters

Status: Worried

Obi-Wan looks at Mace Windu and Yoda. All three of them sit in Yoda's personal chambers. Generally, Obi-Wan enjoys talking with someone who has as much wisdom as Yoda, but now, this is not a conversation that will be easy. It is a secret meeting, without the full Council, and that makes Obi-Wan feel uneasy. Judging by expressions, neither of the other Jedi feel good about it either.

War, distrust, secrecy, and vile plots seem to be everywhere, and it seems that it has even reached the Jedi.

With the three of them all ready, Yoda finally speaks. "Discovered young Skywalker's trouble, I have." Mace and Obi-Wan both give off a slightly surprised look, Mace's eyes widening and Obi-Wan's eyebrow raising.

"And what is it?" Obi-Wan asks, interested.

"Visions, he has been having. Death, he sees. The death of someone close to him it is," Yoda says. Mace and Obi-Wan look at eachother, confused.

"A Jedi it is not, but know any more, I do not," Yoda adds, and Obi-Wan considers the idea.

"Perhaps it is Palpatine?" he asks slowly.

Yoda nods. "No of anyone else, close to him, do you?" Obi-Wan thinks. Not a Jedi, but close enough to be a very big deal to Anakin.

"The only one I know of is Senator Amidala, a close friend of his," Obi-Wan says. The three Jedi consider it, and ultimately just shrug.

Yoda then says, "Also, grave news, I have. Now power over the Jedi, the Chancellor seeks," he says, waiting for the thought to sink in.

"On the pretext of greater security, I am sure," Obi-Wan says. They all knew it was coming. The Chancellor had been gaining more and more power throughout the war, and now it is coming to the Jedi. Still, the thought shocked Mace and Obi-Wan. Mace closes his eyes for a second, seeming to be looking into the Force.

"I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi," he finally says. Yoda looks to him in a somewhat disapproving way. Mace is a powerful warrior, a fearless guardian of the Order, but sometimes, Mace gets a bit too quick to throw around blame, and make overkill plans. Almost like Anakin. Certainly, thinking that the Chancellor would want to destroy the Jedi seems a bit far-fetched, though not unlike Mace. "The Dark Side of the Force is surrounding this whole circumstance. And even the Chancellor," he finally explains.

Obi-Wan considers it. "The Dark Side is everywhere. The Sith may be using Palpatine for their own purposes. Keep in mind, we still know nothing about that... Darth Sidious," he says. The Jedi nod gravely. They all have heard of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, but nobody knows anything about him.

"True, very true. But on theories like these, act, we cannot. Proof, we need," Yoda says, earning a nod from Mace and Obi-Wan.

Mace Windu gives a knowing smile, and says "The proof will come when we find and capture the Separatist leaders, and shut down the droids. If Palpatine doesn't give up power when the war ends, we will need to remove him from office. The Jedi will need to take over the Senate, to ensure a smooth transition."

Both Obi-Wan and Yoda look shocked at this. "That is treason," he says, shocked.

Yoda nods. "To a dark place, these ideas may take us. Great care, we must use, or become corrupt, we will."

Both Jedi consider the statement, and the horror of it. The very idea of the Jedi Order becoming corrupt shakes them to the core. The entire conversation shakes them to the core. Little do any of them know that the warning will eventually become much more than just a warning...

1.5 hours later

Jedi Temple briefing room

Status: Troubled

Obi-Wan is most troubled by the recent developments with Anakin. He doesn't know what he can do to help, since Anakin never listens, but he knows that, at the very least, he needs to not hurt. Of course, it certainly doesn't help that he and every other Jedi is troubled by the Chancellor's recent activities.

The problem is, Anakin never thinks in the big picture. He looks at things on a... more personal scale. When they were out fighting droids on the Outer Rim, it was fine. But now, things are different. With politics, Anakin can't always look at things the way he does.

Because Anakin doesn't truly understand why things are being done, they seem wrong to him, and incorrect. As a result, he gets angry at the Jedi, or the Senate, or whoever, he feels is responsible for what is done.

This does not help with the already struggling tensions between Anakin and the Council, and the tensions between Palpatine and the Council. So, it turns into a very difficult situation. But, once the war ends, and Palpatine gives up emergency powers, things should be better, and simpler. All they have to do is keep Anakin from getting swallowed up by darkness until the war ends, and the Sith are destroyed.

It is then when the door to the briefing room opens, and Anakin rushes inside. "Do you want me to go over the basics of the Outer Rim sieges, since you missed the report?" he says, trying to display a forgiving attitude toward Anakin.

"Sure. I like the short version of things," Anakin says.

"Well, they are going very well. We have won on Saleucami, and Master Vos has taken his troops to Boz Pity,"

Anakin frowns, then says, "Well, then, what is wrong?"

Obi-Wan sighs. So much for trying to avoid talking to him about the Chancellor. "The Senate is expected to give the Chancellor even more executive powers today."

Anakin actually smiles. "Isn't that good? We can get more action and less bureaucratic debate. It will end this war sooner."

Obi-Wan is shocked by this response, but realizes he should have seen it coming. Anakin simply doesn't understand big picture politics. "The more power the Chancellor has, the closer we go to a dictatorship," he says, trying to put it simply.

"The Chancellor is not a bad man. He will give it all up once the war ends," Anakin says, sounding frustrated.

"Anakin, the Chancellor has requested your presence," he slowly says. "I don't know why, but I warn you to be careful."

"And he didn't inform the Jedi Council? Isn't that rather unusual?" Anakin asks.

"All of this is unusual. Just be aware that relations between the Council and the Chancellor are... not going terribly well."

"The Council fears he has too much power," Anakin slowly says. "But why does there have to be so much distrust?"

Obi-Wan doesn't have a good response. "The Force grows darker, Anakin. Beware of it, and beware of your emotions. Remember the Jedi Code. Peace, serenity, and harmony are all very important. Stay calm, and think before you act." Anakin leaves, a worried Obi-Wan watching him until he disappears from sight.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: This story has received its first review! To the guest who posted it, thank you very much! This is the first time someone has ever reviewed one of my stories, and it was very encouraging. Now, unto Chapter three:

10 minutes later

Palpatine's Office

Status: Calm but confused

Anakin walks into the office of Palpatine, rather confused. Politics, secrecy, and corruption, are simply things that he does not understand in full. "Why can't everyone just agree?" he quietly mutters to himself, as he looks at a smiling Palpatine.

The office is primarily maroon, the main color of the Republic. The panoramic windows show beautiful views of the Coruscant skyscrapers, and provide excellent light. The Chancellor's office is one of the highest buildings, so it gets a very good view of the buildings, as well as the destruction that they received in the battle. Grievous and Dooku paid for what they did, and repairs are already being made.

Palpatine finally says, "Anakin, my friend. It is good to see you. I have good news." Anakin smiles, wondering what it is.

"This afternoon, the Senate will call on me to take direct control over the Jedi Council."

Anakin's eyes widen. Obi-Wan had mentioned Palpatine getting more power, but not like that.

He considers Obi-Wan's words and says, "The Council may not like that. Especially since they don't seem to trust you."

Palpatine smiles. "The Jedi need to be directly under control of me. The Senate is to greedy and unfocused to conduct a war. We need to move quickly, or Nute Gunray and the rest of the Separatists will regroup, and the war will continue on longer. We need to strike now and end this. I feel the best way is to put the Jedi under me, not the Senate."

Anakin considers it. It seems logical, and pretty much correct. Of course, he knows that, no matter what, the Council will want its independence. "The war must be won, and we must do whatever it takes to do so. If the Jedi are unwilling to sacrifice power, then that will be a problem."

Anakin sees it all now. He doesn't understand why politics are useful, because they aren't. Simplification is needed, and that means more power to the Chancellor, and less debate.

Palpatine clears his throat, and says, "Anakin, do you ever wonder why you have been kept off the Council?"

Anakin is taken aback, and gives the instinctive response. "My time will come, when I am older, and wiser." Then he thinks of the baby, and Padmé. He knows that his time won't come, ever. He will soon he kicked out of the order, where he can happily live with Padmé. But, he couldn't be a Jedi. He will never be a Master. He will never be on the Council. All because of it. He has failed, as a Jedi.

Then Palpatine suddenly says,"I hope you trust me," bringing Anakin back into the conversation.

"Of course," he says, feeling a bit guilty. He doesn't completely trust Palpatine. He doesn't trust Palpatine with his secret. He doesn't trust anyone with it, including Palpatine. The secret has changed his life, and ruined his path as a Jedi.

"I need your help, son." Palpatine says. He can't help but wonder if he missed something, in the midst of all his thoughts. What is Palpatine talking about?

"What do you mean?" he asks, very much confused.

"I fear the Jedi. The Council continues to push for more control, more power. They are very well hidden in a shroud of lies, secrecy, politics, and deception. They are obsessed with their autonomy. These are ideals that I simply find cannot exist in a democracy."

Anakin finds this statement quite ironic. Obi-Wan said almost the exact same things about the Chancellor. Why can't they all just stop with it and fight a war?

"I can assure you that the Jedi still hold firm to the ideals of the Republic. They simply feel the same things about you," he says, choosing his words carefully. He still is not sure who to side with. To him, that is the very problem. He shouldn't have to side with the Council or the Chancellor. He fights for the Republic.

"The Jedi Council's actions speak much louder than their words. So, I am depending on you," Palpatine says.

Anakin is still utterly confused. What does Palpatine want him to do? "For what?" he asks.

"Anakin," Palpatine slowly begins. "I want you to be the eyes, ears, and voice, of the Republic." This still makes no sense. Why can't Palpatine put it to him straight, and simple. He says nothing, waiting for Palpatine to explain.

"I'm appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council," he says, earning a relieved sigh from Anakin. Happy to finally understand, Anakin takes a moment to simply take it all in. He smiles, thinking about it. "Me! I can be a Master, and even a representative on the Council!" he says, excited. That is, until he thinks about Padmé, and their child. He will be the youngest ever Council member, and then shortly be removed when they discover the baby.

"I am overwhelmed, sir. This is a great honor, but still, the Council elects its own members. They will never accept this, even though I do."

Palpatine smiles. "I think they will. They need you Anakin." His quiet firmness is completely convincing. "They need you more than you know."

1 hour later

Council chambers

Status: Distressed

The Jedi Council is divided on the issue. "A bold move, this is," Yoda says, referring to his appointment of Anakin to the Council.

Mace Windu sighs. "The Chancellor does have the legal power to put him on this Council, but that doesn't mean that we have no other choice."

At that, many Jedi raise their eyebrows. Plo Koon says, "And what might those other choices be, Master Windu?"

Windu considers the question, and says, "If we simply say no, what can he do? Force us to do it?"

The other Jedi consider the question carefully. Yoda finally says, "If go against him, we do, consequences will there be. Cooling down, our relations with the Chancellor need to be, not heating up." That is one thing that almost everyone agrees on.

Ki-Adi-Mundi nods and says, "But at what cost? The Jedi Order should not have to bow down to him, simply for the sake of not creating disagreement."

Windu nods his agreement, and says, "We need to be careful how much power we let the Chancellor have. If he doesn't step down his powers, there will be little that we can do."

"A tricky situation this is," Yoda says. "Act carefully we must."

Windu says, "We should let him get his way this time, but if he doesn't step down after the war, we may need to act further."

Some of the Jedi nod, some act shocked. They just hope that Anakin doesn't sense the utter chaos in the Council. "Are you suggesting treason?" Agen Kolar asks.

"I'm not sure..." is all that Mace responds with.

"So, is it settled that we should put Anakin on the Council?" Kit Fisto asks, considering the fact that both ideas put Anakin on the Council.

"It seems like the only choice we have, so I am with you," Mace responds.

"I agree," Yoda says.

"I." Plo Koon.

"I." Ki-Adi-Mundi

"I." Saesee Tiin.

"So it is settled." Mace says. "Should we send him in?"

"Wait a minute," Agen Kolar says. "We have to put him on the Council, but we don't need to make him a Master."

"Infuriate Skywalker, this may," Yoda says, as he considers the idea.

"Perhaps we offer him the rank once he is conquered whatever visions he has," Plo Koon suggests.

This seems to be generally agreed upon by most of the Council. "Perhaps, ask him first, what he sees, we should," Yoda points out.

"Master Yoda, I feel that Anakin doesn't want to tell. It might be better to let him have his secret," Obi-Wan says. The Council seems to agree with this given that Obi-Wan is somewhat of an expert when it comes to how Anakin behaves and reacts to certain things.

"Well, then. Shall we put it to vote?" Mace asks.

"Who wishes for Skywalker to have to get through his visions in order to become Master?"

"I." Obi-Wan.

"I." Yoda.

"I." Kit.

"I." Plo.

"I." Shaak.

Silence. "Is there anyone else?" Mace asks. "Who wishes for Skywalker to not become a Master at all?"

"I." Mace.

"I." Agen.

"Anyone else?" Mace asks. When nobody answers, he adds, "That means that the remaining three all vote for immediate mastery. They are outvoted, so he shall only become a Master when he is through with his... trial."

Just outside of the Council chambers

Status: Anxious

Anakin stands still, as he waits to go into the Council chambers. Palpatine had made the official statement that give him the power to put Anakin on the Council just an hour ago. Now, Anakin waits outside the Council as they decide whether or not to accept Palpatine's appointment.

His thoughts race. He is scared, excited, and confused, all at the same time. Most of all, he is impatient. He wants to know what they are going to say. But, he can't know until they let him in. So, he waits. Finally, the doors open, and he hears Mace Windu say, "Skywalker. You may enter."

He steps into the Council chambers, awaiting the decision. He stands in the center, like he does when he gives a report on a mission. He stands there, waiting in the silence. Mace Windu finally says, in a formal tone, "Anakin Skywalker, we have approved your appointment to the Council as the Chancellor's personal representative."

Trying to contain his joy and utter, complete, happiness, he says, also formally, "I will do my best to uphold the principles of the Jedi Order." He wants to smile, but tries to remain formal.

Yoda senses some of his feelings, and says, "Take this appointment lightly, we do not. Disturbing, is this decision by the Chancellor."

"I understand," Anakin says, nodding.

"You are on this Council, but you have one more task to accomplish before we grant you the rank of Master," Mace says, bringing a wave of disappointment and anger from Anakin.

"What is that?" he finally says, regaining his composure.

"Master Yoda mentioned the visions that you had. Your task is this: if you can get through them without falling to the Dark Side, we will give you the rank of Master. It is you final test, young Skywalker. May the Force be with you," Mace says, earning a confused response from Anakin. They must really be scared of me if they think I will fall to the Dark Side, he thinks. They gave quite an easy task. Still, he wonders how this will all fit in when they find out about Padmé.

"Thank you, Master Windu," he manages to say, still a little bit angry over the issue of not being a Master. He sits down in the empty chair, filling the twelfth seat on the Council.

Then Ki-Adi-Mundi clears his throat, and the meeting gets down to business. He, as a hologram, says, "We have surveyed all of the systems in the Republic, and found no sign of the CIS leaders." A few Council members frown, but Yoda says, "In the Outer Rim, they will be. The outlying systems, we must sweep." A few Council members nod, but everyone sees the problem.

Obi-Wan says, "We do not have many spare ships that we could use."

Mace says, "We can't take them away from the front lines," and Anakin agrees with this very much. The Republic is spread very thin as it is, and too thinly in his opinion.

"It would be bad if we gave the droids time to regroup. We have them on the run now, and need to strike," Agen Kolar says, swinging his fist down to illustrate.

"Hmm..." Yoda says. "Contact our spies, we must, then wait." Anakin disagrees with this, so after some consideration, he says, "We have no time to wait. We need to find the Separatist Council soon."

"We have no better option. Plus, if we send a good amount of spies, we will find them in no time," Obi-Wan says reassuringly.

Ki-Adi-Mundi raises his hand and says, "What of the droid attack on Kashyyyk?"

Everyone agrees that they cannot afford to lose Kashyyyk, so Anakin says, "I can lead an attack group to fight back the CIS."

Yoda shakes his head. "No. Stay here you must. Ready, you must be, for your vision to come, so that prepared to face it, you are."

Nobody argues with that, so Yoda says, "Good relations, I have with the Wookiees. Go there I will."


	4. Chapter 4

About 10 hours later (Late that night)

Galaxies opera house

Status: Formal

Even in midst a war, the Galaxies is still an elegant opera house, almost always for the very wealthy. It seems untouched by the war, its wealthy, cultured, and important patrons all giving an aura of wealth and power. Anakin hurries through the crowd, still careful not to bump into any of the important people.

Even the infamous Baron Papanoida is standing outside, talking with one of his daughters. Anakin's plain Jedi robes stand out in all the magnificence, but no one looks twice at him. He finally reaches his target, the private box for Chancellor Palpatine.

Two guards in red robes block the entrance. They stand perfectly still and perfectly silent, like a bloody ghost, while letting the Force Pikes that they hold do the talking. The guards eye him down briefly before moving apart so that he can enter.

He sees the stage, a liquid globe filled with Mon Calamari dancers, but everything else is seen as more of a shadow in the dimmer light. He stops to let his eyes adjust, then approaches Palpatine.

Palpatine smiles, and gestures for Anakin to sit down next to him. The box has four seats, two in front, two in back. He and Palpatine now occupy the front seats, with Sly Moore and Mas Amedda sitting behind. "Anakin, I have good news!" he says, in a both quiet and excited voice. Then, adapting a much lower voice, he turns to Mas and Sly and says, "Leave us."

The Chagrian and the Umbaran both silently and without question get up and leave their seats. Anakin can't help but wonder if they had to pay for their our seats, even though they hardly got to use them. He knows that he didn't have to pay for his seat.

"Our Clone Intelligence have found the Separatist Council. They are hiding in the Utapau system. The cowards have hired several thuggish mercenaries to replace General Grievous. Rather pathetic, if you ask me," he says, gesturing to his own red-robed Royal Guards.

"At last! This war will finally end!" Anakin says, keeping with the happy but quiet theme.

"Of course, the assignment will not be easy. To strike swiftly before they escape will be a difficult task, as well as a very important one," Palpatine says.

Anakin knows that it is true. He also knows what point Palpatine is about to make, but he doesn't disagree with it. "I think you're the best choice for the mission. In addition to all your skill and courage, your heroics have won the war. You should be able to have the glory of striking the killing blow," he says, earning a nod of approval from Anakin.

"Of course," Palpatine says, continuing, "the Council can't always be trusted to do the right thing." Anakin considers it.

Why wouldn't they send him? He already has a gut feeling that he won't go. Then, he knows why. It is simple. The Council doesn't trust him. "They try to do their best," he says, more trying to convince himself than Palpatine.

Palpatine sighs. "Anakin, you know that I cannot trust the Jedi Council. If they haven't included you in their plot, I am sure that they soon will."

"I... am not sure I understand what you mean."

"The Jedi Council wants to control the Republic, and they plan to betray me," Palpatine says, flatly. Anakin frowns at this. Palpatine is taking things a bit too far.

But, still, he has felt that recently, Obi-Wan has been hiding something. He has overheard bits of information about Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Mace meeting secretly, discussing what to do about the Chancellor. He had sensed emotions inside the Council chambers, when the Council was discussing whether to admit him and he waited outside. Inside, he sensed very dark thoughts. The kinds of thoughts that occur with secrecy and plotting.

Still, he finally gets the courage to say, "I don't think that..." still, his voice is dripping with uncertainty as he says it, his confidence slowly trails off to a point where he can't even finish the sentence."Anakin," Palpatine says, soothingly, like he is talking to a baby, "Search your feelings. You know, don't you?"

Anakin considers it. In reality, he is completely unsure. A mental battle is waging within him, and the Chancellor has gained ground, now putting him in a stalemate, at least currently.

Choosing his words carefully, he comments, "I know that they don't trust you. They don't trust you anymore that you trust them."

The Chancellor is a bit taken aback by Anakin sly words. "If they do not trust me, then do they trust the Senate... or the Republic... or democracy, for that matter?"

Anakin has no response. He finally says, "I admit that my trust in them has been shaken." Palpatine nods, knowingly. "What exactly has brought you to this conclusion?"

Anakin again doesn't know what to say, how much to reveal. "I have sensed it in the overall atmosphere. Distrust, lies, secrecy, and plotting. I have heard rumors of secret meetings, sensed hints of very dark thoughts, and seen the unease it is bringing in Obi-Wan." Through the entire statement Palpatine nods, clearly suspecting as much.

"I expected them to start doing that. It becomes a necessity when plots start getting complicated," Palpatine explains, earning more confusion in Anakin. How does Palpatine understand the Jedi so well?

"Anakin, I have spent time with the Jedi. I know what they have taught you. Remember back to one of your early lessons. I was there, remember? Master Kenobi told you that all who gain power are afraid to lose it. Does this idea not apply to the Jedi?"

"The Jedi use their power for good," he says. Then he considers Count Dooku. And General Grievous. Then, he becomes even more unsure. Palpatine slowly says, "Good is a point view, and the Jedi point of view is certainly not the only valid one. You see, Anakin, the Dark Lords of the Sith believe in security and justice also, but they are considered evil."

Anakin becomes very glad in the fact that he finally gets to talk about something he is sure of. Palpatine continues, and thoughts go back to utter confusion. "They are evil from a Jedi's point of view. Yet, at the same time, the Sith and the Jedi are similar. Similar in almost every way. Including their quest for greater power. The difference is that the Sith reach further for their power.

The Sith are not afraid to use the Dark Side for power. This added... weapon gives them greater power."

Anakin responds back the way he would always do it, calling back on his early teachings. "The Sith use passion for power. They are selfish, only considering themselves," he says, reciting the phrase like any good Jedi would.

"And they Jedi are not?" Palpatine asks Anakin quietly.

"The Jedi are selfless. They only care about others," he says, starting to feel like a really good Jedi, reciting all the things he has been taught.

Palpatine's smile increases. "Is that what they tell you? Why then, is it, that they have all this deception? Are they not doing it to try and achieve more power?"

"I'm not sure that it is wrong. They probably have a good reason to do so," he says, wondering exactly what that "good reason" is.

"Consider their motives. The Jedi want me to have less power, and them to have more. You see, Anakin, the fear of losing power is a weakness for both the Jedi and Sith."

Anakin has no response. His thoughts swirl every which way, and he is very, very confused.

Palpatine finally speaks again, once Anakin has decided that he will think about such complex matters later. "Anakin, have you ever heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?"

Anakin is glad to have a change of subject. He hopes this will be a lot less confusing. "No," he says.

Palpatine leans back into a shadow, settling in. "I thought not. It's not the kind of story that the Jedi like to discuss. It, in fact, is a Sith legend." The very words shake Anakin to the core. Palpatine telling stories of the Sith?

"Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side, that he could influence the midi-chlorians, to create... life. In fact, he could even keep the ones he cared about... from dying." All Anakin can think of is Padmé. He forgets about the Code, the Council, and Obi-Wan, his thoughts entirely focused on saving Padmé.

"He could actually... save people from death?" he asks, not sure if he is even hearing correctly. It sounds too good.

"The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some consider to be... unnatural," Palpatine responds, in a deep voice.

"What... what happened to him!?" Anakin asks, trying desperately to keep his voice down.

"Unfortunately," Palpatine begins, "He taught his apprentice everything he knew. And with that, the apprentice had no further use for Plagueis. He killed him in his sleep. Rather ironic, I think. He could save others, but not himself," Palpatine says, with a dark smile.

"Do you know who this apprentice is?" Anakin asks, hopeful.

"If I remember correctly, his apprentice was known as Darth Sidious."

A whirlwind of thoughts surrounds Anakin. It is known that whoever Sidious is, he is alive, out there somewhere. Perhaps when Sidious is found... he thinks, but then stops himself. Is he really willing to go to the Dark Side for Padmé? He said he would do anything for her, but that... is it too far? Perhaps, there is another way. "It is possible to learn this power?" he asks, knowing his motives are becoming a bit obvious to Palpatine.

"Not from a Jedi," is all Palpatine says. He remembers bending over his dying mother, knowing that there is a way, but not knowing what is it. Now, he knows. I knew the Force can save from death! I knew it! If only I could learn the secrets of Plagueis... or Sidious. I can save Padmé!

He considers the idea, but is still so confused. Are the Jedi even good in the first place? Is it worth it to join the Sith? Somehow... I will learn it, and maybe even stay a Jedi. Or maybe the Dark Side is the only way. He still is unsure if he really wants to leave the Order for Padmé.

"Is it worth it?" he mutters to himself, as the same phrase repeats over and over again in his head. Is it worth it?

15 minutes later

Council Chambers

Status: Happy

Obi-Wan has to use the Force to resist the urge to yawn. He slept badly last night, in all the unease, and now he has to go to a meeting at 23:20? The life of a Jedi is not an easy one. He sits down in his chair, noticing that he is the final Jedi to arrive.

Yoda quickly begins by saying, "Revealed critical information to Skywalker, the Chancellor has." Anakin smiles at this. It is good to feel useful. "Discovered, Clone Intelligence units have, that on Utapau, the Separatist Council is."

"I still find it disturbing that the clones report that to the Chancellor, but not us," Mace says.

"There is a Constitutional Amendment that says..." Anakin begins, but Mace cuts him off.

"The point is that Palpatine has too much legal power," Mace explains.

"So," Yoda begins, "On to more pressing matters, shall we move?"

"Yes. Who is to go to Utapau?" Mace asks.

Anakin immediately says, "Master Windu, I shall go. The Separatist Council has hired many mercenaries to protect them, and and they have many droids. Getting them before they escape will be... difficult."

Obi-Wan nods. He knows that Anakin is the best choice. Yoda interrupts his thoughts, saying, "On Coruscant, an even graver danger, there is. Sense it, I do. Stay here, Skywalker must. Here, it will be, where he conquers his greatest challenge."

Most of the Council nods agreement. Anakin frowns. Maybe they are plotting against him. It seems so suspicious, the way that they talk. "Are there any other volunteers?" Mace asks.

Kit Fisto speaks first. "Master Windu, I will be happy to go. I may have failed to capture Gunray of Vassek, but if they are actually there, I can promise you that I will bring them in," he says, of course using his trademark smile.

Nobody voices any objections.

"It is settled, then. Master Fisto, will you and your troops be ready to leave tonight?" Mace asks.

"Yes, although Saesee and I will have to hold off on our Holochess tournament until I return," he says, his smile only increasing.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Thank you again to my guest reviewer. Portraying Sidious as an idiot is not something that I would ever do, and I would say that more than any other character, I respect Sidious, both for his cunning schemes, and his abilities as a combatant.

Kashyyyk, Republic Command Center

Status: Waiting

Yoda turns off the Holoprojector showing the now over Council meeting, and turns toward the battlefield. He looks at it, analyzing their forces. The beachhead has been used as a large army camp for the Republic and Wookiee forces, with trenches, barriers, and even fires cooking food for the troops.

Clone Turbo Tanks roll around in some of the large, open, areas, while Clone Troopers stand around waiting. Wookiees are mixed in with the clones, and Jedi Master Luminara Unduli also stands with the troops, waiting. Up with Yoda, at the main command center, are Chewbacca and Tarfful, as well as Clone Commander Gree.

Gree kneels, holding electrobinoculars, watching the droid forces, who prepare for battle on the other side of the lake. "Sir," Commander Gree says, "The droids are starting up their main power generator." Yoda nods, watching as he sees Corporate Alliance Tank Droids and Dwarf Spider Droids start to make their way across the lake. "Now, the time is," he says.

Tarfful and Chewbacca have already came off of the command center, and went down to join their fellow Wookiees. All of the Wookiees gather up on the front part of the beach, with the clones behind them. Then, all at once, they let out their war cry, shaking both fists and weapons in the air, as well.

The ground seems to shake at the powerful sight, the dedication of the angry Wookiees all shown, and heard, in one, epic cry. They then return to their defensive positions, with the clones, and Luminara takes out her lightsaber.

Finally, the droids get near their range, and both sides prepare to unleash their heavy firepower.

Republic Fleet Primary Docking Area, Coruscant

Status: Eager

Kit Fisto watches as his troops get into their formations, and march into the Venator Class Star Destroyer. He currently stands outside the cruiser, talking with Obi-Wan, giving goodbyes. "Master Kenobi, I hope that all goes well for you on Coruscant," he says.

"And the same to you, Master Fisto. Good luck in capturing the Separatist Council," Obi-Wan responds.

"In my experience, there is no such thing as luck," Fisto says. Obi-Wan simply nods.

"Well, in that case, may the Force be with you," he says.

"Yes, you too. Goodbye, Obi-Wan, and may we see eachother soon," Fisto says.

Fisto turns, and walks down the ramp into the cruiser, where his troops already await him. His troops all wear the aqua-blue color, including his Commander, nicknamed, "Sharp" for his sharp eyesight.

"How goes it, Commander Sharp?" Fisto asks, in a pleasant voice.

"Boarding is halfway done, sir. We will be ready for departure in 2 minutes," Sharp says.

"Good. It is time to end this war," Fisto says, smiling.

"It is an honor to be able to partake in the killing blow," Sharp says, and Fisto senses that Sharp is feeling much more gladness than he shows.

"Unto planning," Fisto says, taking a more serious tone. "I was thinking that we can leave the cruisers in orbit, while entering stealthily. I will make contact with the Pau'ans, find out what we need to know, and get them ready for battle. You and a small squad can go and guard the hangar. Then, we can land gunships, with the rest of our men. You will prevent anyone from escaping, while the rest of us strike at the CIS leaders."

Sharp simply says, "I can't think of a much better way to do it." Fisto nods.

Republic camp, Kashyyyk

Status: Ready

The CIS forces enter range for the Turbo tanks and AT-APs, and at the same time, their Dwarf Spider Droids and Tank Droids are able to fire upon the Republic.

For the clones and droids, though, they are too far away. Only the heavy weapons can reach far enough.

Luminara leaps across the beach, using her lightsaber to block back what shots she can and defend their forces. Some do hit, but for the most part, the clones and Wookiees are able to see them coming and avoid them. Then, Droid Gunships fly in over the Republic, their heavy missiles unleashing intense damage. A Turbo Tank brings one down, but the damaged vessel crashes into the Turbo Tank, destroying the vehicle.

Yoda narrows his eyes, then leaps at one of them, his lightsaber slicing at one of the weak points. He leaps back, then uses the Force to send it safely away from his forces. Luminara does similarly, and when an AT-AP brings down the fourth one, Yoda safely pushes it away.

The droids forward charge reaches the range of blaster rifles, and real battle begins. Clones start firing at droids from afar, bringing them down, while the droids do their best to respond similarly.

Luminara deflects the incoming fire, knocking it back towards the droids. "Charge!" she yells to some of the nearby troops, including two of the Wookiees, who both wield powerful axes. Three clones also join her as they advance, their allies providing cover fire.

Anything near them, Luminara deflects, as they charge forward. Three Trandoshans charge at them, but she uses the Force to send them back into several B1s. "Detonators, now," she yells, and the troops all throw thermal detonators at the droids. The slow-moving Tank Droids cannot avoid them, nor can the Spiders. The infantry is able to mainly move to safety, but the result is scattering, and a break in the line of tanks. Her lightsaber cuts down several more droids, and Luminara smiles.

"Next round!" she yells, as the troops throw a second wave of detonators at the tanks. They achieve results similar to the first time, and she has now effectively split the CIS forces in two. Blaster fire takes out one of her troops, but she keeps on fighting.

Then, she starts to move behind the droids, charging to where they came from, the CIS staging area one the other side of the lake. It is not really a lake, as the entire thing is no more than 2 feet deep at it's deepest point, but in terms of area, it is very much comparable to a lake.

She blocks the fire that the droids send as they run past, but the droids keep marching forward, so she and her troops are soon past them.

Activating her comlink, she says, "Master Yoda, I am going to destroy the tactical droid, or whoever they have in charge, with the head gone, the body will soon fall," she says, earning an approving comment from Yoda.

They continue their run, soon reaching the CIS headquarters. Several B2s guard it, but they are soon mowed down. They find about ten Wookiee prisoners tied to one of the trees, and also a small command station. Two droidekas roll out, but she deflects the incoming fire, and reaching out to the Force, suddenly drops a very large branch on both of them. Stepping over it, she sees a Tactical Droid labeled TR-86, standing at a computer terminal.

With a flick of the wrist, she smashes the tactical droid against the wall... only it doesn't move. "Magnetic feet," it says, in a triumphant voice. Then, suddenly, it pulls a blaster on her. She almost laughs. It fires once, only to have the shot be deflected.

The shot bounces back and hits its blaster, but the droid fires again, still using the damaged weapon. The attempt to fire fails, and it instead causes the baster to explode, sending the tactical droid flying back. Not sure if it is still intact, Luminara uses the Force to grab a pillar supporting the center's roof. The roof collapses on the droid, leaving it either destroyed, or immobilized.

Since either one works just fine for Luminara, she turns to leave. The Wookiee prisoners have already been freed by one of the Wookiee soldiers, so she turns to leave, and go back into the battle.

Republic camp, Kashyyyk

Status: Under siege

Commander Gree sees an immediate change in the combat. Suddenly, the droids start fighting differently, like they lack direction, and strategy. It is then when Yoda contacts him. "Destroyed, their Tactical Droid has been. Soon, arrive victory will," Yoda says, through his earpiece. Gree smiles. He knows that he is likely fighting the final battle that he will ever fight in. He shoots down two more B1s, then move to another piece of cover. The Tank Droids and Spider Droids are entirely destroyed, and the infantry lack direction.

A Wookiee charges a group of droids, smashing one with his battle ax, then turning around to bring down another one. A third prepares to fire on the Wookiee, and aims his shot at one of the Wookiee's weak points, an area where a hit that would be fatal. Suddenly, Gree takes it out from afar, saving the life of the Wookiee. The fourth droid is simply tackled, and then ripped apart.

To Gree, everything seems to be going well, but then, he sees a Trandoshan warrior, doing much better than the rest of his allies. He is very big, and he seems to take minor blaster shots without flinching. He takes out several clones with his spear, then uses his bare claws to stab another.

Gree looks at him angrily, and fires, aiming for the Trando's head.

The Trandoshan doesn't dodge, he simply leaps up, so the shot hits his chest, then acts as if he barely felt it. Then, he charges at Gree. So, that only made him angry. He actually dodges Gree's next shots, then swings his spear. Gree leaps back to dodge, but the Trandoshan follows through with a swift kick, that knocks Gree off his feet.

Gree fires a shot that once again hits him in the chest, and his rewarded with having his pistols knocked from his hands.

Releasing a war cry, the Trandoshan swings down his spear to finish off the helpless Clone Trooper. Gree prepares to meet his end, but it never happens.

The Wookiee that he had recently saved apparently decided to repay the favor. The battle ax blocks the spear from killing Gree, but the defensive move leaves the Wookiee vulnerable. The Trandoshan swings his spear at the Wookiee, who can do nothing but dodge back.

Still, the Wookiee is big, comparable to the Trandoshan, so he manages to fight through the pain, despite clearly being badly wounded. The wounded, and angry warrior uses his ax to get a shot at the ankle of the Trandoshan, who has to step back, in the pain. Gree takes the opportunity, rolling out of the way, and grabbing one of his pistols. He stands up fluidly, continuing the momentum from his roll. He gets a solid shot at the Trandoshan, who stops, hissing at the pain. He may be badly wounded, but it is clear that he can still fight.

Before the Trandoshan can strike, though, the Wookiee gives him a solid hit on the back, knocking him to the ground, out cold.

The Wookiee isn't done. He stabs him, straight in the heart, ending his life. The Wookiee, in Shyriiwook, says, "He has killed dozens, and now dozens have their vengeance." Gree can understand Shyriiwook, as he has an interest in non-human cultures, such as Wookiees. Responding in basic, but translating a Wookiee proverb, he says, "Vengeance may be justice, but it can't raise the dead."

Then, he turns around, firing at some droids approaching them. They charge forward shooting at more droids. Then, he sees Luminara Unduli, with two clones and a dozen Wookiees behind her, come in from behind the droids. Her lightsaber cuts down many more, and after about thirty seconds, the slaughter is over. The droid army is entirely defeated.

Luminara approaches Gree, saying, "I think the CIS might have launched an actual invasion force, if the Separatist Council weren't so focused on protecting themselves on Utapau. Good look to Master Fisto."

Gree nods, and Luminara turns away from him, going to report to Yoda. The Wookiee he stands with then says, "Wait... do you understand Shyriiwook?"

Gree smiles. "Indeed I do. Clone Commander Gree," he says, holding out his hand.

The Wookiee does a motion that Gree assumes is the Wookiee equivalent to nodding, and says, "I am Wrrlykam." He shakes Gree's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Gree says, then adds, "Considering that if I hadn't, I would be dead."

"The same to you," Wrrlykam says.

"Wrrlykam, whatever happens after this war, know that you have an ally in me, as well as a friend."


	6. Chapter 6

Here is another combat chapter! Enjoy the Battle of Utapau.

6 hours later

Republic Shuttle, above Utapau

Status: Waiting

Kit Fisto watches out the viewport of the Republic Shuttle, as they approach the surface of Utapau. Inside the shuttle, he, a pilot, Sharp, and four other clones await their landing on Utapau. Above, the Venator Class Star Destroyer waits, ready for whatever may happen next.

The shuttle lands on one of the main landing platforms, and Fisto and the clones step out. They are immediately greeted by several Pau'ans including one that intelligence reveals to be Port Administrator Tion Medon. "Master Jedi," he says, "What brings you to our remote sanctuary?" Fisto frowns slightly. "Unfortunately, the war."

Tion Medon shakes his head, "There is no war here. We are a neutral system." Fisto looks around, feeling that the administrator's response is a bit off. He keeps his search subtle, but still manages to spot the IG-100 Magnaguard watching them. He takes note of its location, then turns his attention to Tion.

"I simply need a brief fuel stop before I continue on in my search for the Separatist Council," Fisto says, hoping the lie will fool the droid watching them. Medon takes it on cue, and steps back, into a place that would be hidden from most spying locations, once he signals some workers to refuel the ship. Turning his voice to a whisper, he says, "They are holding us hostage. On the tenth level. Thousands of battle droids."

Fisto nods grimly. "Thank you very much. If you have soldiers, be ready to use them once we attack."

"Are you bringing additional troops?" Medon asks curiously.

"Plenty," Fisto says, hoping the reply will keep the Administrator calm. They reenter the ship, paying for the fuel as they do. Then, keeping in mind the location of the spy, Fisto and the clones exit out again, through an underside mechanics' hatch. They climb out from under the ship, using it as a barrier, so that the droids cannot see them. They quickly reach a safe hiding place, where they are still hidden.

Carrying only the one pilot, the shuttle takes off, heading back to the Republic cruiser. Satisfied that they are undiscovered, the droids leave their hiding place, and return, ready to report that the Jedi did not notice them, and merely stopped for fuel.

Fisto moves toward the tenth level, but he doesn't try to get near the Separatists. He simply needs to wait for the rest of their forces to launch their attack, and for Sharp and his men to get in position.

10 minutes later

Main Separatist base, Utapau

Status: Unaware of upcoming battle

"The Republic may have passed by here, but they we will not stay hidden for long," Nute Gunray says, always finding something to be afraid of.

"I don't think it will be too much of a problem," San Hill says. "If we can stay hidden for just a little longer, we can regroup and regain our foothold in this war."

Shu Mai speaks up at this. "How long might a little longer be? Please, San, the Republic is in our system.

Cad Bane steps out from the shadows, spitting out the pick that he was currently on. "If you keep up this cowardly discussion, beware that I have already found you, and I am just as powerful as the average Jedi," he says, pointing his blaster at Nute Gunray. Poggle the Lesser lets out a chuckle at this. Through a translator droid, he says, "Bane, if you don't do your job, you don't get paid. Remember, we gave nothing up front."

Bane snarls. "I am more than willing to sacrifice a few creds, in order to save my sanity." Poggle says nothing at this, and Bane smiles.

"Now, listen up. No more terrified comments. Especially you, Gunray. Now, I have a feeling that the Republic may be trying to pull something funny. Be ready."

The next couple moments pass in awkward silence, the Council too scared to say anything. Some of the droids ready their blasters, preparing to shoot anything that causes trouble.

For almost a minute, there is silence, and finally Robonino steps into Bane's view. "Sir! Sir!" he says, with urgency in his voice, "The Republic cruisers have launched gunships!"

Bane speaks up, saying, "To the hangar, now! Get ready to evacuate! Vulture Fighters, launch now! Intercept what gunships you can, but destroy the cruiser! Droids, with us!" They react immediately, obeying Bane to the letter.

Fisto also reacts quickly, following the Separatists toward the hangar. Then, getting out his comlink, he whispers, "The Council is heading to the hangar. Land troops as close as you can to the main hangar!"

Arriving before the Separatists, he signals Sharp and his team out of hiding. "The Separatists are coming, get ready! He takes a minute to look at the hangar, readying himself for the battle. It is a fifty meter by fifty meter square, approximately, with the back end open, to allow ships to leave, and the entire front open, to allow people to enter. It has little in terms of lighting, but it still enough to see, just a bit in shadow.

It is filled with shuttles, which Fisto hopes will not be used anytime soon. Finally, the Separatists enter. First, it is Bane, with the other bounty hunters behind him. These are Robonino, Shahan Alama, and HELIOS-3D.

Kit quickly recognizes them as members of the group that held the Senate hostage, although some are missing. Robonino, an expert in slicing and demolitions, is a short, blue skinned amphibian, and a member of the Patrolian species. Shahan Alama, a skilled gunman, is a Weequay, with tough, brown, leathery skin, and an equally tough personality. HELIOS-3D is a blue and white Assassin Droid, a skilled combatant with knowledge of military tactics.

Still, these hunters pale in comparison to Cad Bane. Bane, who seems to be leader, is a blue skinned Duros, with an intimidating voice, and a very nice hat, that also puts his face in a menacing shadow. He is cold and ruthless, only motivated by credits and pride in his skills. He wields an impressive array of weapons, including twin pistols, a bola, a flamethrower, explosives, and a jetpack, but his best weapon is cunning. He thinks every move ahead of time, so when combat fails him, he will always have a backup plan.

"Well, Master Fisto," Bane says calmly. "Would you please step aside. We don't want to make a mess in front of the Council, do we now?"

Fisto chuckles. "Bane, you're a smart hunter. You know that the Separatist cause is doomed."

"Yes, but I'm sure they will live long enough to pay me," he says, smiling grimly.

"Us," Shahan says quietly.

"Not if you die in the combat," Bane says, smirking. "Now, kill them before the rest of the army arrives," Bane says.

Unfortunately for the CIS, the massive clump of droids gives only the ones in front a chance to shoot. Most of the droids simply stand, waiting.

Fisto stands in front of his clones, using his lightsaber to protect them while they shoot. He deflects the shots fine, but he can see that he can't hold off forever. Still, he knows the gunships will arrive any second.

Finally, they arrive. They unleash firepower upon the droids, moving down several rows with their heavy cannons, before dropping off the clones and turning back, trying to not get shot down by the vulture droids who start to shoot at them. The clones start to come in from behind as well, as they have landed in other places. "Attack the clones, spread out," Bane yells to the droids. Sensing opportunity, Fisto leaps forward, going for the bounty hunters.

They shoot at him, but he easily deflects the shots. First, he goes for Robonino, and the short bounty hunter cannot move fast enough. Fisto, feeling a ping of regret, cuts off the head of the slippery hunter. He leaps up, a shot from HELIOS going straight under him. The shot hits Shahan, which Fisto finds ironic. So nasty that his own partner killed him.

Fisto lands behind HELIOS, and the droid isn't fast enough. He stabs his lightsaber into the central processor of the droid, which is in the upper head. The droid falls, and Bane is right behind the dead droid, if Fisto remembers correctly.

Only, Bane isn't there. He turns around, still not seeing Bane. Then, just in time, he sees Bane falling down towards him. He swings his lightsaber, but Bane is ready. Bane activates his jetpack, stopping his fall, and causing Fisto to miss. Bane takes his turn at an attack, and Fisto barely leaps back in time to dodge the flames unleashed by Bane. The bounty hunter lands swiftly, and actually charges.

Fisto again swings his lightsaber, but Bane ducks under it, and reaches out his hand. He grabs Kit's ankle, and activates the shock pad, sending bolts of electricity into his foot. Still, Fisto sees it coming, and kicks, sending Bane back.

Bane recovers quickly, shooting a poison dart at him. Didn't know he had that. He holds it with the Force, stopping it midair, before sending it back at Bane, who dodges. Bane runs behind Kit, firing his bola at Kit's waist. The shot hits, and even restrains Kit's arm, preventing him from using his lightsaber. Kit drops the lightsaber from his hand, severing the cable. He summons it back with the Force, but in that time, Bane turns to run, toward the back part of the hangar hangar.

Fisto pursues, wondering if he scared off Bane. The back part of the hangar is where Republic troops mainly are, so they take shots at him while he runs past. Bane dodges them all, and finally, gets to an edge, out of room to run. Surprisingly, he simply jumps off the edge, towards the bottom of the sinkhole. Fisto approaches the edge, not seeing the falling Bane, or a body. Where did he go? A moment later, he senses danger behind him. He turns around, to see Cad Bane, firing his flamethrower. The only place to go is back, so Fisto does it. He falls off the edge, towards the bottom of the sinkhole.

He sees Bane, smiling, by the edge of the platform, and turns to look at his fall. He does a Force shield, then falls into the water, cushioned by the Force. He frowns. He has sustained no injury, but he is far away from the battlefield. "This is Fisto. I am at the bottom of the sinkhole, and I need a lift," he says into the comlink.

Separatist hangar

Status: Battle

Bane fires on the Republic troops, realizing that he cannot survive going through their ranks again. Thinking quickly, he jetpacks over the hangar and lands on the droid side of the battle. He takes down a few clones, but they relentlessly advance. He knows that it is over. There are simply too many clones, even without Fisto.

He sees that the battle is not going well. Still, he smiles. While he might not get paid, he already got Robonino to hack in and steal a few credits from the CIS, so even if he runs away, he will have earned plenty. He picks the data cards off of Robonino, Shahan, and HELIOS, giving him access to their loot as well, then turns to leave, heading for his starfighter.

Nobody questions him as he heads to the secret hangar with his starfighter. He walks swiftly, eager to reach his starfighter.

Finally, he arrives at the secret hangar, where two Super Battle Droids guard his fighter. "General Bane. Shouldn't you be fighting the Republic troops?" one asks him.

Bane snarls. "We need to clear a path for the shuttles. I am going to engage the Republic fleet," he says, his voice allowing no defiance. The droids simply step aside, and he enters his starfighter.

He quickly flies out of the area, but immediately spots the Republic Star Destroyer blocking his escape. His starfighter's transmitter beeps, and a voice says, "Unidentified fighter, who are you?"

Bane turns on his transmitter and says, "I am a civilian who did his part in fighting the Separatists, but I finally had to run from them." Nobody stops him as he jumps to hyperspace.


	7. Chapter 7

20 minutes later

Venator Class Star Destroyer, returning from Kashyyyk

Status: Concerned

Yoda's long ears drop in disappointment as he watches the hologram showing Mace Windu. The Jedi Council had just openly discussed what to do next, with the Chancellor, at the official meeting, when Kit Fisto reported that victory on Utapau was imminent. Now, it is time for the secret meeting that always follows. It is not a good trend, and certainly, not one that is the Jedi way. This time, Mace is asking for permission in arresting the Chancellor if he doesn't give up power.

It is Yoda's last chance to say no, and he is unsure whether he wants to use it.

The senior Jedi's arguments remain unchanged. If Palpatine doesn't give up power once the war ends, then he will have to be arrested, as it is as close of proof that they will ever receive, in terms of the Chancellor's intentions. Of course, that is debatable, but they would likely have to turn to things like spying, which has already been ruled out.

"Troubled by this, I am," Yoda tells the image. Mace's face turns to a frown.

"Master Yoda, I need your vote. This cannot wait any longer. The Chancellor is already suspicious," he says, his voice sounding exasperated at the fact that Yoda refuses to simply say yes or no.

Yoda scowls. "Several Jedi, you will need, to carry out the arrest." If they are to do it, they might as well do it right.

Mace nods. "I have chosen three of our best, Master." Mace seems happy at the fact that he is winning the verbal battle over what to do. This is most definitely, not the Jedi way.

Yoda's ears slightly raise up, which shows curiosity in his body language. "Who might the Jedi be, Master Windu?"

Windu responds simply, saying, "Obi-Wan, Agen, and Saesee." He sounds like he is trying to be patient, but is miserably failing. Yoda suppresses a snort. Master Windu is not known for patience.

"Cunning, Palpatine is," he warns. "Caught by surprise, he will not be."

Mace raises an eyebrow. "Then you support my plan?"

Yoda hesitates. Mace just doesn't listen. But, they must move, or it will be too late. "My vote you have. May the Force be with you."

"Thank, you, Master," Mace says. The hologram fades, signaling that Mace has ended the connection.

Now, all Yoda can do is hope that things turn out well, and trust in the Force. He sits down to meditate, and he sees troubling things. It is not uncommon for him to see a possible future, but this time, he sees way more than usual. First, he sees the Chancellor, not giving up power.

Mace comes into the office, saying, "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest."

"I am the Senate," Palpatine says. Then, Yoda gets the sense that the Jedi are about to die.

Yoda frowns, as he rarely receives such vivid visions that come as easily. "Always in motion, is the future," he tells himself.

They start to become shorter, and more vague.

He sees Anakin, marching into the Jedi Temple, and killing younglings.

Mace Windu, empowered by pure hatred, striking down and killing the Chancellor.

Anakin fighting Obi-Wan in a deadly duel.

Obi-Wan, Agen, and Saesee fighting Mace in Palpatine's office, with a wounded Chancellor watching.

A powerful baby being held by Senator Amidala.

Anakin, leaving the temple, with someone saying that he is banished.

Orn Free Taa ordering clones to march on the Jedi Temple and kill everyone.

He, Master Yoda, dieing at the hands of Mace Windu.

Obi-Wan, Mace, Agen, and Saesee getting overwhelmed and killed by waves of clones.

A huge super weapon destroying a planet.

Anakin and another Sith battling Windu and Kenobi.

Senator Amidala embracing a Sith in a black metal suit.

Droids overrunning the Jedi Temple.

Bail Organa being elected the new Chancellor.

Fisto getting beat back on Utapau.

He shakes his head. "Possible futures," he says, calmly, but still, on the inside, very, very worried.

Palpatine's office

Status: Calm

Anakin frowns as he walks through the halls of the Senate, toward Palpatine's office. It is odd, as he should be bringing good news, unless something really odd is going on. The way that Mace talked about it, when the news reached the Council was odd, and it made him feel uneasy. The communication from Kit Fisto was perfectly clear, he said, "Masters, he are winning the battle on Utapau, and the mercenaries have all either been killed or fled. The Council is retreating back with their back with their droids."

Anakin, upon hearing this, had excepted the other Council members to be elated, like he was. Instead, they looked grave, and gave mysterious and unclear remarks about how the Chancellor would react. "The war will end! Of course he will be happy!" Anakin mutters to himself. Surprisingly, Palpatine reacted with the same mood as the Council.

"It sounds like it is too easy. What if they are up to something?" Palpatine murmurs to himself, and then adds, "All we can do is hope that Master Fisto is up to it."

Anakin frowns. Palpatine's words sound rather believable, and if... "I should be there," he says.

Palpatine nods. "It upsets me that the Council doesn't fully appreciate your talents. Don't you wonder why you were never made a Master?"

Anakin sighs. "I wish I knew. I just don't understand why I have to surpass these visions that I have. None of the other Council members had anything of that sort."

Palpatine considers what he says, and finally says, "I think that they don't trust you, Anakin. They want to take control of the Senate."

Anakin responds automatically. "That's not true." Still, he says it just as much to himself as Palpatine. Jedi don't seek power. But, then why are they so worried about the Chancellor, and why do they constantly plot about things?

"Are you sure?" Palpatine says, very much echoing Anakin's thoughts.

"What if am correct," the Chancellor adds, "and they are trying to take over the Republic."

Anakin still says nothing, simply fighting off his own thoughts that swirl in his head. "Anakin, you need to break through this fog of lies that the Jedi Council has created. I am your friend. Let me teach you about the true ways of the Force."

Anakin literally gasps. Palpatine isn't a Jedi. "How do you know about the Force?"

Palpatine smiles slightly. "My mentor taught me everything. Even the nature of its Dark Side."

Anakin is simply shocked. "You know the Dark Side..." Then, the meaning of those words crash down on Anakin. "You're a Sith Lord!" he yells, activating his lightsaber.

Palpatine's office

Status: Intense

Chancellor Palpatine, who's Sith name is Darth Sidious, looks calmly at the angry Jedi standing before him. Turning the Jedi who stands before him is the second most critical goal, in all of his plotting, as the first is to take control of the Republic, and craft it into a Sith Empire. "Yes, I am a Sith," he tells Anakin, with a slight, but still existent, grim smile. Then, he adds. "I am the Sith who held the Republic together in these tough times. I am not your enemy, Anakin."

He can sense Anakin's growing confusion, and he has to suppress his urge to completely smile. The Jedi expect all Sith to be like his apprentices, Darth Maul, or Darth Tyranus, ready to whip out a lightsaber the moment they are discovered. But the lightsaber is a very... obvious weapon. Words are better. With a lightsaber, a Sith can kill the man they face, but with words, they can convince the man to help rather than fight. With words, he took over the Republic, and now will soon bring the Jedi Order to its knees.

Words have true power. And Anakin listened to him. Now, it is time to begin the final stage of Anakin's transformation, to Darth... he will think of something.

He lets his tone become one of lecturing, and says, "Anakin, if one is to truly understand a great mystery such as the Force, one must study all of its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow-minded view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a leader who is truly wise and complete, you must embrace a larger view of the Force."

He pauses, giving the words time to sink into Anakin's very soul. Then, switching to a pleading tone, he says, "Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin. They fear you. In time, they will destroy you."

"Let me train you, Anakin," he says. "I will show you the true nature of the Force." Palpatine can see that Anakin is considering it, but then Anakin shakes his head. "I am not going to be a pawn in your little game, Chancellor. The Jedi are my family!"

Palpatine thinks. There has to be a way to shake Anakin's confidence, and then he remembers. "Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to use the Dark Side... and you will be able to save your wife... from certain death."

It all flashes within Anakin. Palpatine can see it, even without the Force. Anakin realizes that he is Darth Sidious. That he is the only being left in the galaxy who knows the secret of Darth Plagueis. Anakin realizes that through Palpatine, he can save Padmé.

Anakin is simply too shocked, too unsure of what to do, and simply cannot say anything. "I know what's been troubling you. Use my knowledge, I beg you," he says, keeping his pleading tone.

"I won't become a Sith!" Ankin says. But, his denial is too passionate. Palpatine can sense that Anakin is trying to convince himself more than anything. Anakin finally adds, "I should kill you!"

Palpatine resists the urge to smile. Anakin hasn't killed him. Not yet, at least. Since Anakin hasn't done anything already, Palpatine is confident that he won't do anything to him, unless he gets a major change of heart. Wanting to say it out loud to Anakin, but resisting the urge, he thinks, you were already wondering about those overly simplistic Jedi teachings, and now, I'm not acting like a normal Sith. A little more, and you will join me. Perhaps not this minute, but soon, when you have time to calm down, and think about it. About Padmé.

But, I must move slowly, he reminds himself. One misstep could spoil his entire plot. He has left himself primarily at Anakin's mercy, so if the Jedi decides to kill him, he might not be able to save himself. "Of course you should," he finally says.

Then, he adds, "Except for the fact that we both work for the same side. The Republic!"

Anakin snarls. "You deceived everyone!"

Palpatine shrugs. "It was a painful necessity." What had the boy expected- him to announce he was one of the hated Sith, then try to become Chancellor?

"The Republic was rotting from within. The system had to be shaken to its core. Yet no one, not the Senate, not the Courts, and not the Jedi did anything. So I decided to go in and clean up the mess." He senses that Anakin sees truth in the words, and decides to pause, and give Anakin time to think. Finally, he decides to ask, "Are you going to kill me?"

He says it casually, like it were a mere matter of curiosity. "I would certainly like to," Anakin says, his anger bubbling.

"I know you would," Palpatine says, smiling as he turns away. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus. Makes you stronger. The question is, can you do it, even if it plunges the galaxy into eternal chaos and strife?"

Anakin says nothing, staying perfectly still, then says, "I will turn you over to the Jedi Council."

Palpatine looks at him, then says, "But, you're not sure of their intentions, are you? I want you to meditate on my proposal. Know the power of the Dark Side. The power to save Padmé." Now, Palpatine knows it, that he is going to win Anakin over.

Anakin stares at him for a while, then turns off his lightsaber. As if nothing unusual happened, Palpatine walks back to his desk and sits down. Seeing the surprise in Anakin's eyes, he says, "I am not going anywhere. You have the power to decide my fate." And to consider my offer.

Anakin turns and quickly exits the room, and Palpatine softly adds, whispering, "Perhaps you will reconsider after all, young Jedi. And help me rule the galaxy, for the good of all." He knows that Anakin hears it.

Palpatine knows that, once more, the Sith will rule the galaxy for a thousand years.


	8. Chapter 8

10 minutes later

Jedi Temple hangar

Status: Prepared

Mace looks at the holoprojector, staring at Kit's image. "I have good news," the Nautolan Jedi says. Mace nods. "I take that the Separatist Council has been arrested?" he asks, assuming that, as a result of the fact that Fisto would have no other good news to deliver. Fisto smiles and nods, confirming Mace's geuss.

Then, Fisto adds, "They have not yet officially surrendered and ended the war, but for all intents and purposes, the Clone Wars have come to a close. I used a mind trick to get Gunray to tell me the droid deactivation codes, so I will soon shut down the droid army."

Mace nods, happily, but still very grim. He knows that now it is time for the dirty work, the part that partially goes against the code. He remembers Master Yoda's words from much earlier in the war, when he said, "In this war, a danger there is... of losing who we are." The words certainly seem to have become true, now, and Mace frowns slightly.

"Then it is time to make sure that the Chancellor steps down. Kenobi, Tiin, Saesee, and I will go to ensure that it happens." There is nothing else to say.

Fisto nods, somewhat surprised, given that Mace has never mentioned the extreme measures publicly. "That gets dangerously close to treason, Mace," he says.

Mace nods. "I know, but it is the best proof we will ever get, when it comes to finding out what the Chancellor is up to. If he doesn't surrender power, then he will be arrested."

Fisto nods, realizing that it is too late to argue. "Then, may the Force be with you," the Nautolan says. Windu responds similarly, and the communication fades.

It is then when Anakin suddenly runs into the hangar. Mace raises his eyebrow. What is Skywalker doing? As he approaches, Mace can already sense the confusion in his mind.

He can tell that Skywalker is very... conflicted. Something weird is definitely going on. Approaching Mace quickly, he says, complete and plain, "Master Windu, I have discovered a terrible plot." Windu's eyebrow raises farther, but Anakin quickly continues.

"I have discovered that Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord, the one that we have been looking for." Mace's eyes widen, and he doesn't even try to hide his surprise. Even Saesee and Agen show their surprise. Obi-Wan simply approaches Anakin and says, "What do you mean, Anakin? What are you talking about?"

Mace decides to simply step back and let Obi-Wan get the information out of Anakin. Anakin, not sure what to says first, says, "Palpatine told me that the Council was hiding things from me, and offered to teach me the Dark Side of the Force. From there, he said he was a Sith."

Obi-Wan nods. "So, he attempted to turn you to the Dark Side."

Anakin, to, nods, then adds, "He said that he could stop my visions from coming true." At this, Obi-Wan strokes his beard thoughtfully, then finally says, "Anakin, if the Sith knows about your visions, it is very likely that he is the cause of them. It is known that the Sith can send visions through the Force, and cause their victims to have the visions."

Anakin nods, clearly surprised by the response. "So the vision might be a complete lie."

Obi-Wan shakes his head sadly. "No, not a complete lie, but a possible future. A future that Palpatine has chosen to show you. Anakin, whatever it is, when this is over, I will listen and I will help. I will fight for you, even if the Council doesn't. Please, Anakin, just know that I will help, and that these visions will not become true."

Windu shakes his head sadly. He knows that what Obi-Wan just said may have saved Anakin from the Dark Side, but still, for Obi-Wan to say that much, to promise that much...

"Still, Anakin, stay here," Mace says. "I sense that you are still too conflicted to join in on this mission. If what you have said is true, and you stay here, you will have earned my trust." Mace gives the words time to sink in. He knows that what he is saying suggests that he will make Anakin a Master, and that is not incorrect. This is Skywalker's greatest challenge, and if it doesn't turn him, nothing will.

"Come on, now," he says, "We need to move, and soon." The Jedi nod, and the four of them step into the gunship, and take off, leaving an unsure Skywalker behind.

Jedi Temple Hangar

Status: Uncertainty

Anakin watches as Mace lifts off in the gunship, disappearing as it turns towards the Senate building. Why does he get a feeling that he will never see some of those Jedi again? He sincerely hopes that they survive, but what about Palpatine? He doesn't want Palpatine to die, along with Darth Plagueis's secret.

He shakes his head. No. He wants the Jedi to win. He is a Jedi. But, what about Padmé? He can't let her die. He essentially gave up his status as a Jedi in order to be married with her, because he knew that he couldn't keep the secret forever. When he found out about the pregnancy, he was sure, then that he would give up being a Jedi for her, once the baby was born. Still, giving up being a Jedi is one thing. Being a Sith is completely another.

He is still unsure of what to do. Then there is what Obi-Wan said. If, indeed, the visions are not coming true, then there is little point in turning to the Dark Side. Either way, he will leave the Order- or will he?

If Obi-Wan sides with him, and if Mace follows through with what he said, maybe the Jedi might just forgive him. Plus, since the marriage makes him more likely to fall, but he did not fall, then they might accept that it is okay for him.

Of course, those are all possibilities. It all depends on what the Jedi say about his marriage. Then, of course, there is the fact that the visions might not be true. Why turn to the Dark Side for nothing. He may not be a Jedi, but he will not be a Sith. Of course, he might do it, for Padmé. But really? Turn to the Dark Side simply for the sake of fighting off a slight chance at her death?

Is that really worth it? No. He knows. It isn't. His state of being a Jedi may or may not change, but, not matter what, he will not be a Sith.

The Sith are evil, and he will not join them. Or, are they? Palpatine may be a Sith, but he is... different. Maybe some Sith, like Dooku, or Maul are evil, ready to kill at a moment's notice. But Palpatine doesn't seem that way.

Palpatine is different. He uses his powers for good, for holding the galaxy together. He uses weapons like lies to get in power, but isn't it still worth it? Palpatine, as he himself said, has cleaned up the bureaucratic mess in the Senate, and has changed things for the better, defeating the Separatists.

Certainly, he has no love for the Jedi Council, but that could be to blame on the Council more than anything. Secret meetings and lies are not the kind of tools that should be used.

Perhaps the Council is deserving their loss in power. Perhaps Palpatine is right.

Anakin shakes his head, knowingly. The smiling, kind, politician is no more than a disguise to wear while gaining power. He knows that Palpatine will bring about evil and misjustice, once he can. Palpatine is just like the rest of his Sith, except he knows how to use clever words, and deceit.

But does he really know that? What if Palpatine is a different kind of Sith? What if Palpatine is benevolent? So many unknowns, so many factors, so little time.

How can he truly decide now? What else doesn't he know? Who can he trust? In all of the deceit, he knows nothing, so how can he truly decide either way?

Still, he thinks some more. It is known that Dooku is Sidious's apprentice, and if Palpatine is Sidious, that means that the war is completely under Palpatine's control. Sidious was playing both sides, the Republic as Palpatine, and the Separatists with Dooku. That settles it. Sidious uses war to achieve his goals. How can that possibly be good?

Sidious is only after power, and, from what Anakin knows, that isn't good. Plus, he gets the feeling that Council only went after Palpatine because he had too much power. They didn't want to take it. Well, except for Master Windu, but he is different... and outvoted.

The Jedi are not the initiators in this. They have only reacted to Palpatine and his darkness. Anakin has done things he shouldn't have, so it should be perfectly fine to forgive the Council. He has done far worse, killing two unarmed prisoners, as well as an entire Tusken Raider camp, and of course, marrying Padmé.

Certainly, the Jedi could put themselves back together, as could he. Convincing himself that he will not change his mind, out loud, he says, "I will never be a Sith. I Promise."

Padmé's apartment

Status: Calm

Padmé looks out her window, towards the sunrise, the Senate Building, and the Jedi Temple. He had gotten up early, eager to hear news as the war ends. She had already heard that the war had officially ended, but now, it was time to see what comes next. She considers it, knowing that whatever it is, it will mean extreme political change.

Something is going to shift, and she knows it. The tides are turning to a new era, and now all she can do is wonder what kind of era it will be. An era of evil? An era of peace? An era of what? She had already heard the talk about Palpatine having too much power, and that once the war ends, he should step down. Will he?

She knows that Anakin is a close friend of the Chancellor. If he doesn't give up power, would Ankin take his side? Would she take Anakin's side? What will happen next? She has heard the discussion of the Jedi taking Palpatine out of power. Will they? Should they? Will Anakin?

Oh, Anakin. She looks to the Jedi Temple, the Council chambers at the center spire, where somehow, she knows Anakin stands.

Council chambers

Status: Calm, worried

Anakin stares out the panoramic window of the Council chambers, looking at the Coruscant skyscape.

He sees the Senate building, where Mace is no doubt arriving, ready to lead his team in, and arrest the Chancellor.

He sees the rest of the Temple, where Jedi still go about their business, still no doubt wondering what will come next.

He looks to the Galaxies Opera House, where rich patrons no doubt do things as usual, the events of the war, no more than a thought at the back of their heads.

He looks to Padmé's apartment, where she no doubt prepares for the day, worried about what will come next.

Why does everything have to be so confusing, sometimes? Why can't it be like the buildings he sees in the sunrise, where everything is so predictable, and simple. Why can't good simply be good, and evil simply be evil? Why do things need to be complex?

Then, there is always Padmé. He looks at the apartment, hoping that no danger will come to her, hoping that his choice to stay a Jedi will not kill her. He will need to closely protect her, once things start to come to a conclusion.

He smiles, as he watches the sun rise. It feels so refreshing, to, only for just a few seconds, take his mind off of current politics. He thinks of Padmé, smiling. It will become so much simpler, soon, once things calm down, and there is time to think, and understand fully. Soon, things will be much simpler. Better? Maybe, maybe, not, but at least, the sides will be clear as to who is good, and who is evil. Hopefully.

He hopes that Obi-Wan and Mace can bring down the Chancellor, and restore peace. Peace is so simple, and also, more importantly, so... happy.


	9. Chapter 9

Senate landing platform

Status: Ready for battle

The Republic Gunship lands on the Senate Landing Platform, and Mace quickly gets out, followed by Obi-Wan, then Saesee and Agen. The all walk in at a swift pace, with Mace taking the front position. Obi-Wan frowns. Mace is too enthusiastic about the arrest. Doesn't he realize how far it is from the Jedi Code? How close it is to the Dark Side?

It must be done, but that doesn't mean that it should be taken lightly. Of course, with Palpatine being a Sith... this makes the morality a bit easier, though it still doesn't feel right arresting high level officials, and taking them out of power. Of course, with him being a Sith, it makes it much trickier. Palpatine will no doubt try to turn the Senate against the Jedi, so if he isn't killed soon, facts will no doubt be twisted until Palpatine looks like he is a good person, and the Jedi become evil.

Finally, they reach the Chancellor's office. The doors are closed, but Mace uses the Force to open them, and they stride into Palpatine's office, shutting the door behind them. Palpatine waits calmly, in his office chair, as if he is expecting them.

"Master Windu," he says, using a friendly voice. "I take it the CIS has been destroyed?"

Mace says nothing, and Palpatine adds, "I must say, you're here sooner than expected..."

It is time to get down to business. Palpatine knows full well what they are here to do, so, they might as well say it. Interrupting Palpatine, he finally says, "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic of the Republic, you're under arrest, Chancellor."

As if on cue, all four Jedi simultaneously activate their lightsabers. Mace notes no surprise in the Chancellor, not even hidden surprise. It is clear that Palpatine, or perhaps he should call him Sidious, definitely saw it coming.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine asks, and Mace can't help but wonder why Palpatine isn't just getting down to business. Perhaps he wants to make it more dramatic for a future holodrama. Practically spitting out the words, Mace says, "The Senate will decide your fate."

Sidious smiles. Switching to a deeper, more intimidating voice, he says, "I am the Senate."

Mace's eyes narrow. "Not yet."

Sidious nods. "So it's treason, then." The Sith Lord stands up, hands at his sides. Without moving a muscle, he uses the Force to pull a lightsaber out from under his sleeve and into his hand, all in the blink of an eye. He activates its red-hued blade a moment later. So, he has some tricks up his sleeve. He has to fight the urge not to smile at his own, silent joke.

Then, blazing into motion, Sidious yells, "Arrrrgh!" and leaps over his desk, landing at the feet of the Jedi, poised and ready to lunge. Mace looks to the Jedi beside him. Tiin is on his left, holding his lightsaber with two hands above his head, at a forty five degree angle, in his Djem So attack stance. He, Mace Windu, holds his lightsaber behind him, ready to swing in a powerful attack, and release a fury, should he have to. On his right is Obi-Wan, poised for quick movement and defensive coverage, as is normal for a Soresu user. To the right of Obi-Wan is Agen Kolar, who holds his blade similarly to Tiin, as a result of the fact that both of the Jedi use Djem So.

No Jedi is willing to move, knowing that to do so would leave their defenses weakened, and Sidious would exploit the opportunity. Finally, the Sith moves, lunging for Agen. It is clear that the Zabrak Jedi will not react in time, but Obi-Wan, who might be the most skilled lightsaber duelist alive, at least in terms of his defensive skills, moves to block Sidious's strike. However, the Sith suddenly spins, his blade never making contact with Obi-Wan's, and instead stabs Saesee Tiin. Obi-Wan never stands a chance at helping. Just after the Jedi dies, Mace swings at Sidious, who blocks with ease. Mace unleashes a flurry of strikes but, Sidious blocks all of them, and turns to the other two remaining Jedi.

He strikes quickly at Obi-Wan, who slightly overswings. The experienced Jedi compensates easily, and reaches to defend, as he can still block Sidious's next strike. However, he can't quite get his blade all the way over to Agen, who does manage to block. Mace moves to intercept and stop Sidious from releasing a second strike, but the Sith steps out of the way, and Mace can barely stop himself from colliding with Agen.

Mace has no time to stop Sidious's next strike, and realizes that he is about to die if he does nothing soon. At the last second, he throws his head back, the attack passing over him, but unfortunately, beheading Agen. Giving into his anger, he strikes at Sidious, who parries. Obi-Wan leaps into the fray, starting to help Mace parry Sidious's relentless attacks. Taking advantage of the newfound defensive aid, Mace releases his fullest fury upon Sidious, allowing Obi-Wan to parry for him, but also allowing Obi-Wan to not have to counterattack.

As such, they are both able to focus on what they do best. Mace can attack, Obi-Wan can defend. They even start to get the feeling that they are winning.

Palpatine's office

Status: Deadly lightsaber duel

Sidious laughs with joy as he battles the Jedi. It has been so long since he got to fight a worthy opponent, or in this case, worthy opponents. In fact, the Jedi seem to actually be winning.

He had planned that Anakin would come to his aid, but he now senses that Anakin has chosen against him. A pity, considering the potential of the Jedi. Maybe, later, once it is all over, he take Skywalker alive, and try to turn him. Originally, he planned to let the Jedi beat him, so that Anakin could turn, but since it seems as though that won't happen, the only thing that matters is killing the Jedi he currently faces.

Kenobi stands in front of Mace, defending against anything that comes near either of them. Mace stands behind, leaping and spinning every which way to come in at Sidious from weird and unpredictable angles. When he tries to attack, Kenobi is actually an equal match for a duelist like himself. He can't seem to get anything through.

Mace, on the other hand, unleashes a powerful fury, trying to power through Sidious's defenses. The powerful Jedi is good enough to equal Sidious's defenses, and even beat them. He can sense that things are not going to end well.

All of his training as a Sith, all of his plotting as the Chancellor, all of his planning to be Emperor, and it will amount to this. Winning the chess match, but getting killed when the losing player in the chess match decides to turn it to a straight up fight.

He snarls. He is too good for this. He will not let it happen. He thinks of all the years he has dedicated to this, the thousand years that the Sith before him spent on planning. A thousand years of successful plotting will not amount to this. It can't, he will not allow it.

"Arrrrrrrrgh!" he yells, letting the fullest, deepest parts of his hatred fuel him. Then, he starts duelling again, this time using every ounce of hate he has in him.

Palpatine's office

Status: Deadly lightsaber duel

Mace's eyes widen as he sees Palpatine's fury. The tide starts to turn, suddenly Sidious's defenses no longer look like they are starting to fail him, they look like they are an equal match for Mace.

Obi-Wan's defenses, though, start to look like they are on the verge of crumbling, with Sidious about to destroy them in any second. How can they combat such a powerful fury, when the unstoppable fuel of hate is what drives it?

Then, he knows. His hate. He needs to do whatever it takes to protect the Republic from Sidious. If it means using his own anger, then Mace accepts it. He needs to kill Sidious, at all costs. "You will not take over the Republic!" Mace yells, his voice a bloodcurdling scream, and his fury increases.

Juyo, in its standard form, draws deeply on the Dark Side. Only a select few Jedi are allowed to use it. It is aggressive, and dangerous, and can very well bring a user to the Dark Side. However, Mace Windu created an extension of Juyo, called Vaapad.

In Vaapad, everything that characterizes Juyo is used, and taken to an even more extreme level. Now, Mace doesn't allow any other Jedi to use Vaapad, as it is simply too dangerous. He once taught it to others before, but all of his students fell to the Dark Side.

Now, Mace has simply taken Vaapad to its highest level, drawing very deeply on the Dark Side. He has turned himself into a deadly duelist, and now, with this deepest form of Vaapad on his side, even Palpatine is struggling to compensate.

Palpatine looks at Windu, seeing that the Jedi has taken a page out of his own book. The anger and the hate are empowering Windu, and Palpatine suddenly realizes that the Jedi has dramatically turned the tables.

Now, his defenses cannot seem to Mace's assault, and as a result, he has to back down his attacks on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, now, seems to be doing more than fine, but Palpatine still is struggling to fight Mace's relentless fury. Palpatine is drawing on as much anger as possible, his entire hatred on his side, but simply put, the Jedi are too good.

No, not too good. They have given their fullest effort, and Mace his drawn on his hatred to an extent that they can win. Their hate has made them strong.

Then, he sees it. He will win. Technically speaking, he will not win, but the Sith will. The Jedi had to call on their darkness in order to defeat him, especially Mace. They may kill him, but he will leave two important legacies.

First, he has left the Republic open to a Sith, ready to become a Sith based dictatorship at any moment. The next Sith will have an easy time getting in, and coming to power.

Also, he has created that next Sith. Mace Windu will turn to the Dark Side. Mace has used his darkness to defeat Sidious, but that darkness will consume him. Mace will be that next Sith.

Engrossed in battle, now only fighting so that he can push Mace further, he sees a future. A vision, a vision of not a possible future, but an inevitable one.

Mace, with shades of yellow starting to tint his eyes, walks toward Yoda, the two facing eachother with complete focus, but one focus sharpened through serenity, the other sharpened through hatred. They both activate their lightsabers, and begin to battle. Mace uses all of his hate, Yoda uses all of his serenity. Mace doesn't openly wield a red lightsaber, he still has purple, but there is most definitely a trace of the Dark Side. Mace is, for all intents and purposes, a Sith.

Sidious smiles. He knows that it is over. He knows that he has won, if not somewhat indirectly.

He goes on complete defensive, letting Mace continue his powerful assault. Obi-Wan screams out pleas for Mace to stop giving into the Dark Side, and actually, Sidious hopes that Mace does follow them. There are two futures, now. In one, Mace backs off, and Sidious retakes advantage, killing the Jedi. In the other, Mace doesn't, killing Sidious, but turning to the Dark Side himself. The Sith will rule either way, though Sidious wishes he can get to see it. Mace, his eyes narrowed, yells, "Obi-Wan, I will do what I must!"

Sidious smiles. So, the second one, then. He blocks two more powerful strikes, and then, he senses one last thing. Obi-Wan. If Mace becomes the new Sith ruler, then Obi-Wan will be a major thorn in his side. So, then, as Sidious's last effort, he will kill Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Knowing he doesn't have much time left, he sends his last powerful bit of fury at Obi-Wan. It is a desperate strike that is his only chance to get one more kill. Mace, determined to save Obi-Wan, manages to cut Sidious's lightsaber in half, at the hilt. So, it all ends. The strike never reaches Kenobi.

The destroyed lightsaber falls to the ground, and Sidious lets out the most powerful bit of Force lightning me can muster, only to have it blocked by Mace's hate empowered tutiminus. Then, in a gentle voice, Obi-Wan says, "Mace, don't kill him. I sense that the Dark Side is clouding your thoughts."

Mace frowns. "He is too dangerous to be kept alive!" Sidious has to hide a small smile. Then, Mace raises his lightsaber, and Sidious prepares to join the force. In one swift strike, he does.


	10. Chapter 10

Utapau, former CIS base Status: Victorious Kit Fisto gives his trademark smile to the clones surrounding him, and says, "Well, I say we give the Separatist Council as little time to be rescued as possible, and get them to the Republic Prison on Coruscant, but we need to do one last thing here, before we can make the delivery."  
His troops nod, blasters ready, as they approach the main computer consoles.  
It is rather unnecessary to have their blasters ready, is there is little danger that can come to them, now, but it is simply instinct to do so, especially when approaching an important CIS computer terminal. The room, unlike much of Utapau buildings, is made completely out of durasteel, with no visible rocks. Auto-turrets line the room, the all entrances are blast doors. It obviously had some modifications to suit the needs of the Separatist Council. Of course, they still couldn't afford a quality light.  
Fisto types in the codes given to him by Gunray, and the computer instantly starts opening up. His eyes narrow in focus, his smile increases in excitement. Slowly but surely, using Gunray's codes, he gets through the double, and triple measures of security guarding the computer.  
Soon, it reads "Access granted, what do you wish to do?" Several icons pop up, and Fisto quickly goes to the one that seems most relevant to what he wants to do, the one labeled "Critical Droid Army functions."  
After a bit of navigating through various choices, he presses one that says, "Deactivate all of the Droid Army." He smiles.  
It then says, "Deactivation code requested." Fisto quickly types in the code given to him.  
The computer reads, "Shutting down Droid Army," Fisto knows that he is ready to be done, and leave. Still, there is one last thing that he will need to do. He looks to a sheet of flimsi, filled with codes given to him by Gunray. It has several things on it, and could be dangerous in the wrong hands.  
He activates his lightsaber, the emerald blade further lighting up the computer room. Still, the codes might be useful sometime.  
What if the droids were to be reprogrammed for labor? It would be helpful to have the codes. So, one by one, he uses the Force to commit all of the codes to memory, then brings his lightsaber down on the sheet of flimsiplast, incinerating the codes, that now only reside inside Fisto's head.

3.5 minutes earlier Above Botajef, aboard main shipyard facility Status: Worried "Ma'am, the Republic fleet is closing in," the tactical droid says, simply. Snuurg, a large Wookiee general for the CIS, lets out a roar, in Shyriiwook, that means, "Of course they are." She is a large, female Wookiee, who was convinced by the now-dead Count Dooku that the Republic was taking advantage of the Wookiees.  
Believing it, she became a dangerous general in the CIS armies, with enough toughness to combat some Jedi. She still has the lightsaber of the Jedi padawan as a trophy. The tactical droid, TH-15 considers this, knowing that Snuurg is also a great tactician, rivaling his own abilities.  
Of course, the two seem like they should be winning the battle against the Republic forces. They have occupied the Botajef Shipyards, but now the Republic is taking them back. "All three of the ships have full power to the forward shields. Shall I spring the trap?" he asks her.  
She roars a cry of battle, that he translates as a curse on the Republic ships. "Is that a yes?" he asks. This time, she actually says something that directly translates to yes.  
Nodding, he says, "Activate cannons." They watch, as behind the Republic fleet, asteroids are revealed to have heavy cannons on them. The cannons fire at the unshielded rear of the Republic Star Destroyer, which instantly starts taking damage. The cannons on the Star Destroyer turn to face the CIS cannons, but TH says, "All frigates, advance. Fighters, initiate attack runs."  
"All three ships have their sublight engines disabled," he says happily to her, reading information coming in through the droid network.  
"Instruct the the cannons to target their shield generators. Let's soften them up for the frigates," she says, in Shyriiwook, of course. Using the droid network, the cannons start doing just that.  
The two Banking Clan frigates enter range of the Republic Ships, which immediately focus fire on them.  
"They have redirected shield power to balance on both sides," he says.  
"Good. To what percent are their shields?" she asks.  
All at about 50 percent, except for one of them, which has their shields completely destroyed."  
"Focus all fire on that ship," she says, almost automatically. He nods, and within a few seconds, it is completely destroyed.  
For a short while, they wait, then, after receiving new updates he says, "The second ship has lost shields, and the command ship is at only 27 percent," he says calmly.  
"Finish the second ship, the leave the command ship for now," she says.  
Soon enough, the second ship is destroyed. Leaving only the command ship, with low shield health. Both of their frigates are still at 50 percent.  
The tactical droid gives a mechanical chuckle. "Shall we finish off the command ship?" he asks.  
"Destroy its shields, and then target here, until the ship splits apart" she says, pointing to a holomap diagram. It shows the point at which the bridge connects to the main part of the ship.  
He orders it through the droid network, and it is soon done, with the bridge completely taken off the ship. It takes about twenty seconds. "Destroy their fighters, as well as the main part of the ship. However, I would like to take the bridge crew alive. Come with me," she says, grabbing her cortosis ax, but keeping her stolen lightsaber concealed. Then, planning for a just in case scenario, she quickly adds, "Bring four Droidekas and ten Super Battle Droids. That should be enough."

30 seconds later Above Botajef, bridge of Republic command ship Status: Terrified Kerribow, a Wookiee Jedi knight, looks at the approaching CIS ship. Speaking through his translator droid, he says, "The CIS did this for a reason. I assume they want us us alive." The bridge of their ship is floating in space, but the hole can only be reached by going down on the turbolift, so they at least have air.  
Not that they will be staying long enough to get air. The CIS ship docks, and they can hear it as the turbolift comes up. He has already done his best to seal the door, so the droids will have to cut their way through. It might save them thirty seconds.  
Finally, the turbolift reaches the top, and the droids start to cut through. Slowly but surely, a circular hole is cut through the door. Soon, the inside part of the hole, a piece of durasteel that is disc-like in shape, comes flying out of the door, going straight at them. Nobody gets hit by it, though.  
Then, they see the being who pushed out the hole, and it is not a droid, but an organic commander. The commander is a large female Wookiee, surrounded by several droidekas and even more Super Battle Droids. Not good.  
The commander is somewhat surprised to see another member of her species, but she quickly puts herself together. "Surrender now," she says.  
Responding in Shyriiwook, and ordering his translator droid to be silent, he says, "We will not surrender to the likes of you, Separatist!"  
"Kill the clones, but leave the Jedi alive," she says back. The droids raise their blaster to fire... and do nothing. Then, as one, they all simply lower their weapons, and crumple up on the ground.  
He smiles. "I see that Master Fisto finally ordered the droid shutdown. The war is over, now. Accept it, and surrender."  
She lets out an angry cry of pure hatred. "You are a traitor to our species," she says, and charges at him with her cortosis ax. Keeping calm, he simply uses the Force to lift her up, and hold her still in midair. The much larger Wookiee writhes about, but simply cannot escape the grasp of the Force.  
Then, thinking about what his opponent said, Kerribow says, "I am not a traitor to our species, you are! Do you know what the CIS did on Kashyyyk?"  
She nods. "They tried to liberate our people from the Republic. They failed, but that doesn't mean they are evil!"  
He shakes his head. "Our people fought with the Republic. We worked together. But the CIS was there only to take over and make your people hostages."  
She lets out another angry cry. "I see they twisted the facts for you."  
He shakes his head. "I will take you to Kashyyyk. Perhaps, then you can see what has been done by the CIS."  
"I will surrender, then. But you must promise to let me see what has happened on Kashyyyk." "So be it," he says.

2 minutes earlier CIS research facility, Sev Tok Status: Desparate Loctan Barer stares at the screen of the computer terminal, then says, "Well, it appears as though the we have lost." He is dressed in a white lab coat, contrasting deeply with the orangish-red skin that all Quarrens have. His assistant, 421-BT says, "Master, is there anything that I can do for you?"  
He strokes his tentacles thoughtfully. "No, BT, it is over. Well, actually, yes, there is. You can be prepared to run. As soon as the Republic troops abandon the halls here and here, I should be able to head out to my secret hangar."  
Things had been going so well for Loctan. He was developing a virus that could turn the tide of the war, or at least, could when finished, but then, someone leaked information, and the Republic found out about it. Likely contacting their Hutt allies, they managed sneak troops onto Sev Tok, using a secret hyperspace lane linking it with Toydaria. A couple dozen clones landed, and soon it was clear that the facility would be taken by the Republic.  
Now, all he can do is wait, until one of the clones heads out of a certain hall, and... now. He heads out, BT following. They check to see that no one is in the hall, and soon continue on. He will lose the facility, but he will do all in his power to not lose his life, or his freedom.  
He keeps track of the troops via datapad, now, and manages to get around most of them as he reaches the hangar.  
Soon, they see his ship. They close the door behind them, and then hear, "There he is!" It is a clone. Loctan starts to put his hands up, waiting as he sees a B1 sneaking up on the clone. A shot is fired into a weak spot at the neck joint, and the clone is dead.  
Ten more B1s enter, and he smiles. "Let's go!" he says. They form up, and start heading for the ship. They open the door, and see another clone. Oops.  
The clone smiles. "Gotcha." He then gives a surprised look when he sees all of the B1s. He quickly takes cover, then retreats back into Loctan's cabin, firing away. The eight remaining B1s, who survived his initial assault, charge in, spurred on by Loctan. He hears blaster fire, then a scream from the clone, and silence.  
He heads into the room, stunned to see that all of the droids are shut down, by their appearance. Odd. He checks on the clone, who appears to be dead. Then, he checks the location of the wound. He shouldn't be dead. Then, suddenly, then clone kicks out at Loctan, knocking him down. The clone picks up his blaster, then unloads a solid stun blast in Loctan's face.  
Barely conscious, Loctan asks, "How did you defeat all those droids?"  
The clone smiles. "I guess they received a shutdown order. To bad, for you," he says, then slaps a pair of binders on the Separatist scientist. He drags him out to the main part of the ship, and simply shoots a helpless BT. 


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you for all of your comments on this story! I hope you like the idea of Mace turning to the Dark Side, and that transition towards darkness will primarily occur in these next ten chapters. Until that, this chapter is mainly about replacing Agen and Saesee.

2.25 hours later

Yoda's temporary quarters, aboard Republic Cruiser en route to Coruscant

Status: Mixed emotions

The Jedi Council chambers are quite empty. It is quite tragic to have both Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin die. Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, and Coleman Kcaj are present, while Ki-Adi-Mundi, Kit Fisto, Yoda, and Stass Allie attend via hologram.

Yoda frowns. So many things to do, so much confusion. Mace stands in the center of the chambers, ready to report. "What have you to say, Master Windu?" he asks, ready to start the conversation.

Windu says, "For those of you who have not already been told, Yoda, Obi-Wan and I started to discuss what to do with the Chancellor. We started to realize that he was starting to make things awfully close to a dictatorship, and he was gaining too much power.

We eventually decided to arrest him, should he choose to not step down after the war. I selected Obi-Wan, Agen, and Saesee to go with me, and once we received word from Master Fisto, the four of us prepared to leave, and tell Palpatine to step down. It was then when Anakin came to us, and informed us that Palpatine was a Sith Lord." Mace pauses, allowing the other Jedi who didn't know to have time to think, and realize the "why" in all those situations with Palpatine.

Then, once the Council members have calmed down, he says, "We went to Palpatine's office, he hold him he was under arrest. He pulled out his lightsaber, and battled us furiously. While Kolar and Tiin were killed, I am glad to say that Kenobi and I managed to kill him."

He smiles, clearly proud of what he has done in killing Sidious. Ki-Adi-Mundi speaks first, saying, "Are there any other secrets that you three have kept?" The Council has to chuckle a bit, but then Yoda holds his hand up.

"Secrets and lies, good, they are not. But, necessary there were, to keep it hidden. Regret it I do, but also, admit I must, that bad, many other recent actions are." The Council nods, thinking about how being a general in war is not something generally attributed to peacekeepers.

Plo Koon speaks next, asking, "And how exactly did Skywalker find out about Palpatine's nature?"

Mace responds, "I do not know. Perhaps he can tell us." Anakin steps up to the center, but Mace decides to stay standing there as well. Finally, Anakin clears his throat and says, "Palpatine told me that the Council was trying to overthrow him, and that they wanted to betray me as well. He then offered to teach me in the ways of the Dark Side, and also help me overcome the visions that I have had."

The Council, nods, understanding, and then Yoda says, "Perhaps, time it is, to elect the new Council members. Select two, we will have to." The Council nods, and immediately, they take out a datapad from under their seats, so that they are ready to vote.

"Who do we have for candidates?" Mace asks, then says, "You know how this works. Any and all suggestions will become candidates."

Names are typed in, appearing on the list.

First comes Eeth Koth. Koth was already on the Council, but after a brush with the Dark Side, he decided to have himself demoted, with fellow Zabrak, Agen Kolar taking his place. Now, Koth is recovered, but is not on the Council.

Next suggested is Luminara Unduli. Unduli is a good Jedi, with a strict adherence to the Code. She is very disciplined, as well as wise. Certainly, not a bad choice either. She would be sure to prevent any secret meetings, or similar ideas.

After that, it is Quinlan Vos. He is a powerful Jedi, but not the best when it comes to political smarts, or wisdom. He is rather unorthodox, and acts more in the seedy underworld, fighting off crime lords, smugglers, and spice traders. In addition, he is still recovering from a brush with the Dark Side.

After that is his apprentice, Aayla Secura. She too, is a powerful Jedi, and also has experience with the Dark Side. However, coming out the other end, she knows the dangers of emotion, and is a wise Jedi.

Then, an idea comes to Yoda's mind. An idea based on something that he is currently learning. He slowly types it in, the datapad not built for use by someone with fingers such as his: Q, u, i, -, G, o, n, , J, i, n, n. He hits "submit" and watches the Council's reactions.

"Who submitted a dead Jedi for this?"

"Whoever did this, it isn't funny." They all look around, trying to see who did it. Just to keep his animosity, Yoda does that as well. Then, Yoda says, "No death, there is, only the Force."

The Jedi still look completely confused, but then, Yoda finally opens his mind up, wishing that Qui-Gon Jinn were alive. As if on cue, suddenly, Qui-Gon, in a translucent blue that somewhat resembles, a hologram, appears before Yoda. He also appears in Yoda's hologram, based on the reactions from the Council.

The Jedi are simply too shocked to speak. Their eyes widen, and finally, Obi-Wan asks quietly, "Master Qui-Gon?"

Qui-Gon's ghost nods, and then says, "I will let Yoda explain this."

Yoda nods, then says, "Through the Force, possible, all things are. Contacted the Whills, Qui-Gon did. Now, beyond death, interact with us his spirit can. Only present himself to a willing user of the Force he can. How to summon him, teach you all, I will. Recently, present himself to me, Qui-Gon did. Slowly, learn to communicate with him, I did. Now, fully present, he can be."

Mace shakes his head. "We have never put a ghost on the Council before. Are you sure that this is something that we should do?"

Yoda nods. "Put it to vote, we shall." The Council nods.

"Now, anyone else to suggest, is there?" he asks, hinting that now is the final time to suggest names. A few more come in.

K'Kruhk. He is a Whiphid Jedi, who is a tough warrior in battle. The Whiphid are a long lived species, so he has had plenty of time to learn, and gather wisdom.

Roan Shryne. He is also a powerful Jedi, with significant prowess in lightsaber combat. He is a member of the unofficial "Old Guard," a group of Jedi that are considered likely to be on the Council at some point.

"Any more, are there?" Yoda asks, noticing that nobody has suggested anything for some time. So, the votes start coming in. Each Jedi on the Council gets two votes, meaning a total of twenty votes will be collected. It doesn't take long for the voting to occur, and soon, all of the Jedi have given both their votes.

As Grand Master, Yoda receives the honor of being the only one to see how the voting goes. When it is done, he says, "Finished, voting has. Two votes, for K'Kruhk. Two votes, for Roan Shryne. Four votes, for Luminara Unduli. Three votes, for Eeth Koth. Two votes, for Quinlan Vos. Two votes, for Aayla Secura. Five votes, for Qui-Gon Jinn. Settled, it is. Luminara Unduli and Qui-Gon Jinn, our new members are."

A cheer of applause comes from all of the Jedi, done not necessarily out of happiness in the choices, but as respect to the new members. Ghost Qui-Gon smiles, and sits down so that it looks like his hologram is in what used to be Saesee Tiin's chair. Then, activating a comlink, Yoda selects Luminara Unduli's frequently, and activates it. "Master Unduli, news for you, we have. Report to the Council chambers as soon as you can, you must."

She simply responds, "I'm on way." Luminara is always a stickler with having discipline and using proper behavior, so being late to an important meeting is certainly not something the could be characterized with her.

Qui-Gon decides to disappear, as they wait. They simply decide to be silent as they wait rather than discussing the important matters of the future. Perhaps it is out of respect for Luminara. They wouldn't want to leave her out of the beginning of her first meeting.

Luminara arrive within a couple minutes. She enters, and walks toward the center part of Council chamber. When she reaches it, she says simply, "Masters, you summoned me?"

Yoda nods. Summoned you, we have. News for you, we have. Master Unduli, a member of the Jedi Council, you now are."

Her eyes widen in surprise, but quickly resume a normal position. "Thank you, Masters, it is an honor. I will do everything in my power to uphold the principles of the Jedi Order."

She sits down in Agen Kolar's former chair, then asks, "I see that Mater Tiin died as well. Have you selected someone to take his place yet?"

Yoda nods, then says, "Arrive, he soon will." Then, he again wishes that Qui-Gon were alive. In order for Qui-Gon to be present, he needs a powerful Force user to wish him to be there, and that invitation acts as a beacon for him to come to.

Again, Qui-Gon materializes, hologram/ghost form, inside of the chair for Saesee. Luminara's eyes again widen, and she says, quietly, "Master Qui-Gon?"

Qui-Gon nods, then says, "There is no death, there is the Force."

Luminara nods as well, then finally says, "I see."

Yoda decides to speak up, and says, "Contacted the Shaman of the Whills, he did."

Luminara considers it. "Well, then, the obvious question is, will anyone else be learning this power? By the looks of it, you seem to be the only one involved in this, as of yet."

Qui-Gon decides to answer this. "It is a very difficult task, and one that can only be done by the strongest users of the Light. Yoda is already starting to learn it, but from there, I would say that it will be Council members only, and at that, only very few of them. Anakin is powerful enough, and I can see Obi-Wan and Mace doing it as well, but aside from them, and Yoda, I would guess for that to be all, at this point."

The Jedi nod, understanding of the fact that they are not strong enough. Yoda considers it, then says, "Agree with Master Qui-Gon, I do, and believe it I do, that the best one to train, he is. Choose his students, he will, and teach them as he chooses, he will. Complete control, he will have."

"I agree," Qui-Gon says, not as a fact that he wants the power, but that he accepts that he is the best choice.

"I." Obi-Wan, of course, agrees.

"I." Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"I." Plo Koon.

"I." Luminara Unduli.

"I." Kit Fisto.

"So, settled, it is. Master Qui-Gon, decided anything, have you?"

Qui-Gon says, "I think that individual training will be the best for this. I think that it would be best for them to learn at their own pace, so perhaps the students can summon me whenever, they wish to learn. As for who it will be, I think I will stick with Yoda, Windu, Kenobi, and Skywalker. Unless I notice that someone else has the power and skill to do it as well, these are all that I will do."

Anakin, Mace, and Obi-Wan look at eachother. "Well, then, how exactly do we summon you?" Anakin finally asks.

"Simply wish that I am with you. From there, I should be able to do the rest. I simply need a beacon to come to. That consists of a powerful Force user, and one who wants me to be there. Of course, I still have the freedom to not go to it, but I wouldn't do that unless I am busy teaching someone else."

Yoda considers that, and then Mace says, "Perhaps, we should adjourn this meeting, and let all of us ponder on all of this, before we continue, and plan on how we deal with what is going on in the Chancellor's office. The Senate will be demanding answers soon, but I think we all need a bit of meditation first. Plus, Luminara and Qui-Gon will need to learn about what recently has happened."

Author's Note: About Eeth Koth, the brush with the Dark Side that I referenced is not something from anything else. Simply put, he was on the Council in The Phantom Menace, but not in Revenge of the Sith. (I don't remember if he was on it in Attack of the Clones). That reference was simply an excuse that I made for him not being on the Council.


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry about the error earlier, saying that Dooku was Qui-Gon's apprentice. It is fixed now.

10 minutes later

Anakin's chambers, Jedi Temple

Status: Worried

Anakin hears the knock at his door, and says, "Come in." The door opens, to reveal Obi-Wan.

"Anakin," he says, making his voice as gentle as possible, "Do you want to talk, about... it, now?"

Anakin says nothing. Obi-Wan knowing that it is time to talk, and that it can't stay secret fro long, says, "Remember what I promised. Whatever it is, I will fight for you, and for resisting the lure of the Dark Side, I will push for your mastery. I am sure that the Council will not break its promises."

Anakin shakes his head. "With all the lies, and deception that has gone on? How can I trust them? They haven't trusted me recently, why should I trust them?"

"Anakin, the Council isn't asking you. I am. I promise. Whatever it is, I will not make you discuss it to the Council, and I will keep the secret, if you so wish."

"You're a part of the Council, too. How can I trust you not to tell Yoda, or Qui-Gon? You can't keep a secret from your former Master! Think about it, Obi-Wan. Do you have the will?"

Obi-Wan shakes his head sadly. It is clear that he knows Anakin is right. "Anakin, I know that I can't do it. But, I can't resist helping you, either. If you can't trust me, then how can you expect the trust from the Council?"

"Obi-Wan, there is no way that you can make me tell, and I simply am not ready to earn trust with the Council yet."

Obi-Wan nods understandingly. "Anakin' this is a difficult stage for all of us, regaining trust. But, remember, we need to start somewhere, in creating our spirit of openness. Listen, I can promise that Qui-Gon will take your side. You remember him, don't you?"

Anakin nods. Qui-Gon took him out of slavery, and fought for him to be trained. Even with his dying wish, Qui-Gon instructed Obi-Wan to train Anakin. It would very much be surprising for Qui-Gon to not side with both Anakin and his former apprentice.

"Look, Anakin, that is three votes for you, and with four more, you will be a master. 4/9 of the remaining Council should agree with you."

Anakin sighs. "You raise a good point, Obi-Wan, but please, don't tell anyone."

Obi-Wan frowns. "I promise, for what it's worth."

Anakin nods, then says, "Well, ughh...let's just say that I'm not the only Skywalker that you'll have the pleasure of meeting."

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow, and Anakin is unsure whether his master got the meaning of it. "So... Shmi is alive? Is that what your dreams are about? Her... dying?" he asks.

Anakin shakes his head, then says, "No, she... ughh... well, we'll get to that later."

Obi-Wan frowns. "So, it isn't Shmi? Or it is?"

Obi-Wan is taking surprisingly long to catch on. "My dreams aren't about Shmi," he says, hoping that that is clear enough. It still is hard to talk about her, and to think about how she died in his arms, and how he slaughtered the entire Tusken Raider camp afterwards. That might be hard to explain, but he'll get to it sometime.

"Do you have a... brother? Sister?" Obi-Wan asks, still confused.

"Well, I have a stepbrother, but he is irrelevant right now," Anakin says, remembering Owen.

"Well, then... who is that you are dreaming about? And why is it such a big deal?" Obi-Wan asks, starting to show a little anger.

"Well, I'll just say that he... or she... is a lot... younger," he finally says.

Obi-Wan frowns, now clearly understanding. "Who is the mother?" he asks, his voice a whisper.

Turning his voice even lower, and his cheeks red with embarrassment, he says, "Padmé."

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "When did you..."

"We married shortly after the war begun, and they I guess that we will have a baby shortly after the war ends," he says, quietly.

Obi-Wan simply nods. "Well, I guess I said that I will fight for you, so I will follow through if the Council finds out."

Anakin's eyes widen, happy, and then he says, "Thank you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan nods, and then, Anakin hears a knock at the door. "Oh... kriff. Come in," he says, ready to try and defend himself.

It is Kit Fisto who stands outside, smiling as usual. He enters, and closes the door behind him. Leani up close to Anakin, he says, "I heard everything you said, Skywalker. Just know, though, that me and Aayla, well yah. And Obi-Wan has..."

"Don't you dare tell him that, Master Fisto!"

"Siri Tachi," Fisto says, smiling. "Don't worry, though. It can be a triumvirate secret."

Anakin nods, then remembers that Siri is dead. "Oh, Obi-Wan, I am so sorry that she had to die. The thought of losing Padmé nearly took me to the Dark Side, so I can't imagine what that must have done for you."

Obi-Wan nods. "Anakin, I'm okay now, just don't tell anyone."

Anakin, too, nods. "I will only tell someone if you tell about me and Padmé."

Fisto nods. "It is mutual. But think, Anakin. If you, me, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon vote to support you, we only need a few more votes. Plus, Ki-Adi-Mundi has five wives. I'm sure that he would understand. That means that only two more people would be needed, in order to make you a Master."

He smiles, then turns to leave, saying, "Goodbye, Obi-Wan, goodbye, Anakin. You can decide whether to bring it to the Council, but I'm on your side either way, and I'll leave you two alone, for now."

Anakin nods as the Nautolan walks out the door. "Are Nautolans and Twi'leks similar enough genetically to produce offspring?"

Obi-Wan chuckles. "It would be quite a funny looking, aqua colored, tentacle/lekku covered, and semi-aquatic baby."

They both laugh at the idea for a while, and then Obi-Wan says, "Anakin, are you ready to bring this to the Council. Think about how many should be in support of your have a guaranteed three with me, you, and Fisto, as well as the fact that Qui-Gon and Ki-Adi should side with you."

Anakin nods, but then says, "Now everyone is trying to convince me to tell the Council. You said you could help keep my secret!"

"Look, in a few days, it won't be a secret anymore, so you might as well tell the Council. Thewill probably give you bonus points for honesty."

Anakin chuckles. "I know, I know. It's just that... I'm so worried. What if they don't accept it?"

"Anakin, it's now or later. Which one?"

"Fine. We will do it, at the next session."

"Also, do you want to talk about your mother? Is she... alive?" Obi-Wan asks, gently.

Anakin nods. "Fine, let's get this over with. If had visions of her death, shortly around the time of the Battle of Geonosis. I eventually travelled to Tatooine, with Padmé, and found her. Only, she was gone. The remains of her family, who bought her out of slavery, said that she was kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. I went to find her, and did, but she died in my arms. Then... then... I slaughtered the entire Tusken camp. Not just the men, but the women, and the children, too."

"I'm so sorry," is all that Obi-Wan can say. "Let's not tell the Council about that just yet."

Anakin nods. Then, he moves towards Obi-Wan.

They were sitting on Anakin's bed, next to each other, but not touching. Now, Anakin simply needs comfort. He rests his head on Obi-Wan's shoulder, and Obi-Wan wraps his arm around Anakin. "It will all be okay," he says.

Then, he realizes the connection between Padmé and Shmi. "Anakin. Those dreams about Shmi. They were just like the ones for Padmé, weren't they? So you knew. You knew that those dreams could be true. You knew. Anakin, I am very proud of you. You have resisted the Dark Side in a way that I am truly impressed by. You have done well, Anakin."

Anakin proceeds to hug Obi-Wan, knowing that it might be his last moments with his Master. If he is exiled from the Order... He shakes his head, not wanting to think about it. Obi-Wan has always been there for Anakin, and he always will be.

Obi-Wan has been like a brother, a father, a teacher... he has been everything to Anakin. To lose him would be just as much as it is to lose Padmé.

Obi-Wan has always been there. Anakin, despite his power, his skill, and his fame, is still sometime just like a child, needing to be hugged.

They mean so much to each other, and Obi-Wan couldn't bear to lose him anymore than he could bear to lose Obi-Wan. If he were to get exiled... would Obi-Wan leave the Order for him? "Obi-Wan? If I were exiled... what would you do?"

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "I would... I don't know. I would let you and Padmé be together, but I would certainly come to visit. Whatever happens, it will be okay. It will be fine."

Anakin nods, and sits back up. "Obi-Wan, we need to get to that Council meeting, soon."

Obi-Wan, too, nods. "That would probably be a good idea. Are you ready, Anakin? Remember this. I will fight for you."

5 minutes earlier

Yoda's quarters

Status: Confused

Yoda stares at the ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn, both of them having recently arrived in his quarters. He just returned from Kashyyyk, and Qui-Gon just materialized. "So, Master Yoda. What in the world has gone on? It seems that quite a bit has happened since my death," Qui-Gon says, very confused as to what they were talking about at the meeting.

Yoda nods, then says, "Indeed."

"Would you be willing to inform me on what exactly those events are?" Qui-Gon asks, ready to finally understand modern politics.

"Turned to the Dark Side, your Master, Dooku, did," he says, to start off with.

"That tells me a lot," Qui-Gon says, hoping that Yoda isn't offended by sarcasm.

"One of Sidious's apprentices, he became," Yoda adds, explaining the obvious.

"Who is this... Sidious?" Qui-Gon asks, realizing that way more has happened than he originally thought.

"A Sith Lord, he is. His apprentice, Maul was," Yoda says, realizing that he has a lot to tell. Qui-Gon nods, having figured that out from knowing that Dooku was Sidious's apprentice.

"Bent on taking over the Republic, he was. His real name, though, recognize it you may. Palpatine."

Qui-Gon nods, then his eyes widen. "Sidious was Chancellor?!"

"Yes. Tragic, it is. Lead a war against the Republic, Dooku did. Use the war to gain power, Palpatine did. Soon, emergency powers, and much more, he had. A clone army, out of nowhere, was created. Given to the Republic, it was."

Qui-Gon nods. "That sounds suspicious."

"Indeed. Once over, the war was, revealed his identity to us, Palpatine did. Go after him, we did. Assume it we do, that planned to destroy is, he did. An assassination attempt, it would look like. Turn the clone army against us, he would have, but no plans, he had, for after death. Now, await news to what has happened, the Senate does."

Qui-Gon nods, still very confused. "What about the war? And Dooku? Is my master still alive?"

Yoda shakes his head. "Won the war, we did. Killed by Young Skywalker, Dooku was."

Qui-Gon strokes his beard. "How, exactly, did Dooku die?"

"After an assault on Coruscant itself, very recently, retreating he was. However, in combat against Skywalker and Kenobi, he was. Defeated, he was, and executed by Skywalker."

"Anakin executed my master? Why?" he says, clearly very shocked.

Yoda shakes his head. "Down the Dark Path, Skywalker was. Thankful, we are, that turn to the Dark Side, he didn't, but very close it was."

Qui-Gon nods, sadly. "I guess that you were right, that he was a danger. But, he didn't turn, so does that mean that I win the bet?"

Yoda chuckles. "A joke, that was."

Qui-Gon nods. "I know."

Then, Yoda looks at his crono. "Time to return to the Council it is. See you there, I will."

Qui-Gon disappears, and Yoda walks out, ready to begin his walk to the Council chambers.


	13. Chapter 13

Council Chambers

Status: Worried

Anakin sits in his chair, uncomfortable, and worried about what is going to come next. If he is expelled... He doesn't want to think about it. All he can do is hope for forgiveness, and vote for himself.

It is time. Yoda speaks first, saying, "Now, unto the current matters, we shall move, relating to the Republic, what will come next with it, and the office of the Chancellor."

Obi-Wan clears his throat. "Master, I have another topic that I think we should address first. That is the future of Anakin, with his visions."

Yoda nods, then says, "Begin your speech, you may."

Obi-Wan steps into the center part of the Council, with Anakin following him. Once they reach it, they stop, and Obi-Wan begins to speak. "I have finally discovered what has been going on inside of Anakin, the struggle he faces. Actually, it starts before this, shortly before Geonosis. Anakin, would you care to explain?"

Anakin nods. It is time to share everything with the Council. He takes a breath, and begins. "First, I must say, that I know you will not approve in some of the actions I have taken, but please try to understand. Shortly before Geonosis, I received my first solo assignment. This was to guard Senator Amidala, on the world of Naboo. There, with her, our love started to blossom."

A shocked bit of sounds come from the various Council members, then Anakin continues, saying, "About this same time, I started to have dreams of my mother, back on Tatooine, dying. So, eventually, we went to Tatooine. I found my mother's new family, including a man who set her free, and married her. They told me that she had been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders about a month ago, so I set off to look for her. I found her, and she died in my arms. As such, I murdered all of the people in the Tusken camp."

Another shocked wave of sounds comes from the Council. "What happened next, I am sure know well. We went to Geonosis to save Obi-Wan, got captured, and a battle ensued on Geonosis. After the battle, we secretly married on Naboo."

Anakin again pauses for shocked noises, but this time none come. It seems that they have remembered a bit of respect.

"You know the Clone Wars well, and what happened next, I would guess you suspect. I received visions of Padmé dying, and I became determined to stop them. Palpatine tempted me by claiming that the Dark Side had the power to save her, but thankfully, Obi-Wan convinced me to not join Palpatine, and stay in the light." The Council nods, clearly surprised by Anakin's honesty.

"Now," Obi-Wan says, "I must mention my opinion on this. First of all, Anakin has shown that he can resist the Dark Side despite marriage, and how it tempted him. He faced the Dark Side and won. We said that he will be a Master once he gets through this, and now, he is through. So, I ask, should we fulfill that promise?"

The Council nods. "Perhaps, but know of Skywalker's marriage, we did not," Yoda says.

"A promise is still a promise," Obi-Wan says.

Yoda nods. "Perhaps, put it to vote, we shall."

"Anything else to say, is there?" he asks. No one says anything.

Mace finally speaks up. "Who votes for expellment of Young Skywalker, and who votes for giving him one more chance?"

Anakin's eyes widen. "What do you mean, one more chance?"

Mace frowns. "We cannot forgive, if you do not regret. So, simply put, you can only be forgiven if you denounce your marriage to Senator Amidala."

Anakin frowns, but nobody says anything. He sighs, wondering if he is still willing to be with Padmé, now that it means certain expulsion. Who will it be, Obi-Wan or Padmé? Perhaps, he won't even be given a choice, and be forced into leaving. Of course, at least he would be with Padmé.

"So," Mace says, "Who votes for second chance?"

"I." Anakin says, sadly.

"I." Obi-Wan.

"I." Fisto, who clearly is a bit sorry for Anakin, now.

"I." Qui-Gon.

"I." Ki-Adi-Mundi. He has five, so it is no surprise that he can forgive Anakin for one.

Nobody says anything. "Is there anyone else?" Mace asks.

Yoda holds up his hand. "Decided yet, I have not." More silence.

Finally, "I." It is Yoda.

"It's a tie," Mace says, and Yoda scratches his wrinkled forehead.

"I say that Grand Master decides on ties," Fisto says.

"A rule, that is?" Yoda says, smiling at his newfound power. Mace quickly gets out his datapad, and they eventually find out that it is a rule.

"Convenient!" Yoda says, chuckling.

"Now, what is your decision, Skywalker?" Mace asks.

Anakin frowns even more. He was not expecting this. "I... I don't know," he finally says.

"Give me time, Masters," he adds. The Jedi nod. He faces a difficult decision.

"Wait," Obi-Wan says. The Jedi look at him oddly.

"I propose that the Jedi should allow marriage," he says, earning several surprised looks from the Jedi.

"Hmm..." Yoda says, then adds, "Explain your thoughts, you must, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan nods. "I have seen what Anakin's marriage has done, now, and I must admit, he came very close to the Dark Side. I do believe that marriage is what caused this. There is no passion, there is serenity. However, I have realized an even bigger problem.

Simply put, it was so dangerous, because it was secret. We couldn't help him, because we didn't know what was going on. The difference between allowing it and banning it is that in one, the Jedi faces temptation, but at least has us to help him, and in the other, he does it secretly, and still faces temptation, but has to hide it. He cannot console us for help, either."

Yoda nods at this, then Mace adds, "In addition, it gives passion, which isn't all that bad. Only through my anger at Sidious, and my passion to save the Republic, was I able to defeat him. Passion is important."

Yoda frowns at this, and many Jedi shake their heads. "Master Windu! Careful, you must be! The root of the Dark Side, passion is."

"It is the root of the Dark Side, but it is not the Dark Side. If it is kept at just passion, it is a powerful tool."

"Your thoughts dabble awfully close to the Dark Side, Master Windu," Plo Koon says.

"In addition," Obi-Wan adds, "It will give us Jedi children, and will allow us to strengthen the Order. Plus, it will give us the power to keep Anakin, a very valuable Jedi."

Yoda nods at this. Then, Obi-Wan says, wrapping up, "Simply put, we cannot stop marriage. The question is, do we accept it, or force Jedi to keep it a secret?"

Yoda rubs his wrinkled cranium in thought. "Again, vote on it, shall we?"

The Jedi nod. It is time to vote on changing a rule that has had a massive effect on the Jedi. For over a thousand years, the rule stood strong, keeping Jedi away from the Dark Side. Now, it might be changed.

"Who votes to allow marriage amongst Jedi?" Mace asks, and the vote begins.

Of course, Anakin gives an immediate "I."

Obi-Wan follows similarly.

Kit says it next, of course.

Three votes, and now it is time for the other Jedi to think, and ponder.

"I." Mace says it, likely saying it as a result of his previous statements.

That is four votes.

"I." Ki-Adi-Mundi, likely basing it off the fact that his wives haven't turned him to the Dark Side.

Five votes, now. They near the decision.

"I." Plo Koon. Of course, he sees the logic of how a secret marriage is worse than an honest one. It is now at six, but with Yoda siding with those continuing the ban, it means that they need one more vote.

Who will it be? Shaak Ti, Stass Allie, Coleman Kcaj, Luminara Unduli, Qui-Gon, and Yoda still side with the ban. None of them seem to be saying anything. Luminara, Coleman, Qui-Gon, and Stass seem to have decided, but Yoda and Shaak remain in thought. Mace says nothing.

Anakin holds his breath, knowing that his future is on the line. "I," Shaak Ti finally says.

"Settled, it is," Yoda says.

"Now, the question is," Mace says, "Who has these secret marriages. And fear not, you will face no punishment for admitting that you were married while it was still banned." They chuckle.

"Aayla and I," Fisto says, with his signature smile.

The Jedi nod.

"Siri and I," Obi-Wan says, grimacing. "As well as Duchess Satine."

"Admit, others will, not on this Council, hmmm?" Yoda says.

"Does that mean that I can stay?" Anakin asks, hopeful.

"I." Obi-Wan.

"I." Fisto.

"I." Anakin, of course. He has to vote for himself sometime.

"I." Mace Windu.

"I." Plo Koon.

"I." Qui-Gon.

"I." Yoda.

"I." Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Already have enough, we do. The last vote, I did. Learn to count you must, Master Mundi." The Council laughs at this.

"And be a Master?" Anakin says, then adds, "I."

"I." Obi-Wan.

"I." Yoda.

"I." Plo.

"I." Coleman.

"I." Qui-Gon.

"Anakin Skywalker, you are now a Jedi Master," Mace says, smiling.

Finally, it seems as if Anakin's dreams have come true. His marriage will no longer have be a secret, he is both a Jedi Master and a Jedi Council member, Padmé is alive, and the Republic is at peace. Everything seems so perfect, so happy.

Galactic Senate

Status: Confusion

The Senate is in chaos, simply put. It was originally a meeting to discuss what to do with the Separatists and their droids, but now...

"Where is the Chancellor?" Wirret Pedd, the Senator from Duros, says.

"He is not responding to his holo-transmitter," Sed Narrip, a Senator from Elrood, says.

"A transmission from his Royal Guards say that they found his dead body stuffed into one of his hidden closets!" Orn Free Taa says, eyes wide.

"Has he been assassinated?" Cevva, from Rodia, asks.

"Well, that would be a logical assumption!" Orn says.

Bail Organa, from Alderaan, brings his pod toward the center. "My fellow senators," he says, in the way that implies he has a speech coming, "I have contacted the Jedi. They say that they know what is going on, and that they will explain everything. However, they still need to discuss amongst themselves what they will do, so once they have decided, I am sure that they will be here."

Orn Free Taa brings his pod out, so that he faces Bail Organa. "If the Jedi know what is going on, why don't they tell us? Or... are they behind the Chancellor's assassination? Perhaps you have been deceived, Senator Organa!"

Then, pulling out his transmitter, he says, "Guards, can you identify the weapon used to kill Palpatine?"

Bail shakes his head. "The Jedi are a good people, and they would never have assassinated the Chancellor!"

"And what proof do you have of that?" Orn asks.

Bail shakes his head, and then Orn smiles, saying, "We all know that the Jedi have disliked Palpatine, and now they have gone so far as to assassinate him! The Royal Guards say that it is a lightsaber wound! Is this not enough proof? We need to act now, and bring the Grand of Army of the Republic against the Jedi!"

"You have no proof, either!" Bail yells, but his voice is drowned out by the other senators.

"Who else uses lightsabers?!" some say.

"We need to act now!" they also say, anger dripping in their voices.

"We have no Chancellor! We do not have the power to utilize the clone army!" one yells, allowing a pause in all the yelling.

Orn clears his throat. "Then, I suggest that we elect a new Chancellor, so that we can use this army to squash the Jedi rebellion!"

"Vote now, vote, now!" The cries yell out, reminding Bail of when Chancellor Valorum was taken out of office.

"I move for candidacy!" Orn yells out. "Vote for me, and I promise that we will keep the Republic going strong in this time of chaos! We will come down firm on the Jedi, and avenge Palpatine! Now, is there anyone who wishes to oppose me in this race!"

"I." Bail says. "If you want to act on a mere suspicion, without any real proof, then you will not earn the position of Chancellor! We need to bring justice, and I promise that I will, but we need to know everything first. If it is indeed the Jedi, then I will bring justice, but not yet!"

"We have no time!" someone says. More power hungry candidates start announcing, but it is clear that the main race will be Orn vs. Bail.

Bail shudders. This is not how action is supposed to go in the Republic. If Orn will not bring justice, well, then, he needs to warn the Jedi.


	14. Chapter 14

Council Chambers

Status: Worried

"Now, time it is, to discuss the current matters in the Senate," Yoda says, earning a sigh of approval from the Council members. They have delayed it long enough already.

Then, Mace raise raises his hand. "Wait... We have an incoming communication from the Senate! I can't recognize the frequency, though."

Yoda nods. "Put it through, we must."

A blue hologram turns on, in the center of the Council chambers. It is the figure of a middle aged human, with fine blue clothing, and a black cape. "Hello," the figure says.

"Identify yourself," Mace says, almost automatically.

"I am Raymus Antilles of the Royal Alderaan Civil Fleet. I send this message on the behalf of Senator Organa."

Obi-Wan nods, saying, "Bail is a good and trusted friend of the Jedi Order. What does he wish to communicate with us?"

Raymus clears his throat, and says, "The Senate believes that the Jedi are responsible for Palpatine's death. They are very angry."

Mace smiles. "But they have no control of the Clone Army," he says.

Raymus nods. "That is why they have decided to immediately elect a new Chancellor."

Anakin shakes his head. "The Senate takes forever to get things done. They will have cooled down by the time they get a new Chancellor."

Raymus frowns. "Not when they are angry. Candidates are finishing announcing now, and I don't know how long the elections will take, but they seem to want them done quickly."

"Who is leading this... thing against the Jedi?" Plo asks.

"Orn Free Taa of Ryloth," he says sadly.

"Thank you, Raymus. Inform Bail that I will be on my way. I will discuss what to do via hologram while I go there."

Yoda frowns, and the hologram fades. "What planning, are you, Mace?"

Mace is already running out the door. "There's no time to argue!" he says as he leaves.

Yoda shakes his head. Mace is a good Jedi, but he sometimes overreacts to plots and deception, like now. Well, it is too late to do anything, as Mace has made his decision. Then, Mace appears, via hologram, in his chair. It shows him running, but his hologram doesn't move throughout the Council chambers, it simply runs in his chair.

All of the Jedi chuckle at the hilarious sight. "What's so funny," Mace asks, clearly very disappointed at how his fellow Jedi are reacting.

Yoda, too, chuckles, "A funny animation, your hologram gives."

"Can we stay focused, here. If you don't remember, we have an emergency in the Senate. Do you think that we should evacuate the temple?"

Yoda shakes his head sadly, but before he can speak, Obi-Wan does. "Master Windu, do you at all get the feeling that you are overreacting?"

Mace shakes his head, saying, "We need to tell the Senate what has happened, or they will destroy us."

"Trust in Bail's political abilities, do you not?" Yoda asks, somewhat slowly.

"He can't stall forever," Windu says, angry.

Anakin nods. "Master Windu is right. We need to make sure that the Senate doesn't destroy us. What we did certainly will seem to them as very dark, and bad."

"It is treason, basically," Shaak says.

"That is why we need to tell them, and do it before Senator Taa becomes Chancellor," Mace says.

"Perhaps, but a bit rushed, you are," Yoda says. "Patience. Calmness. Serenity."

"Master Yoda, this is not a time for serenity," Mace says simply.

Yoda looks at Obi-Wan trying to tell if Kenobi sees what he is seeing. "Master Windu," Obi-Wan says, confirming Yoda's suspicions, "You need to act carefully. You are reminding me of Anakin." The Council laughs at this, except Anakin and Mace, who roll their eyes.

"As I said before, the Jedi will need to take control of the Senate, in order to secure a smooth transition," Mace says.

Yoda raises an eyebrow suspiciously. This is a bit too much. Fisto, though speaks first this time. "You are too rash. I am not sure if such extreme action is necessary."

Luminara nods, saying, "You are a bit too emotional in your connection with this Order, Master Windu." The Council nods. Mace has heavy emotions towards the Order, and now they are starting to bring out the worst in him. They really need to go back to being in a time of peace and harmony. Soon, they will. Soon, he promises himself.

1 minute ago

Galactic Senate

Status: Angry

Bail looks behind him to see Raymus come up. It seems that he has finished reporting to the Jedi. "What did they say," he asks, muttering so that nobody can hear them.

"They said that Master Windu will be coming, to explain what has happened, but they might need us to stall for a bit."

Bail nods slowly. "Very well. I will do what I can."

He turns to see how things are going. It seems that the candidates have finished deciding.

"Are there any other candidates?" Orn asks. There is silence.

"No, then. So, shall we begin the vote?" Orn says, smiling.

Speaking so that everyone can hear, Bail says, "Perhaps all of the candidates should inform the Senate of what policies they plan to choose, and how they will rule."

Orn frowns. "Very well, senator. Would you like to go first?"

Bail considers it, then nods. "I will."

Orn smiles, showing his teeth. "Go ahead, senator."

Pulling himself together, Bail considers what he should say. Improvising speeches is not something that he is terribly good at. When he has plenty of time to write, he can do wonders, but... all that he really needs to do here is take a long time. This should be easy enough.

He says, standing tall, "I am Senator Bail Organa, from Alderaan. Perhaps you have heard of it. For those of you who do not know, though, we are a peaceful planet. We have no weapons. As such, I am a peaceful senator. And this Republic, after three years of terrible war, needs to be a peaceful Republic. I know peace well, so please, let me guide us into this time of peace.

If we attack the Jedi, they will likely strike back. Is that what we seek? Another war? We are not here to bring war. We, the government, are here to bring and secure peace. The Jedi are keepers of the peace. Having them with us will greatly help in this time. Attacking them will do no good.

Think about the cost of war. We need to end it. Do you know the poverty that this war has caused? How about another? We need peace, as the Republic already is in debt. Senators, we need to recover. I know that better than anyone, having seen the glory of peace.

I think that we will have a time to truly thrive, coming ahead of us. I can promise to lower taxes, and stop feeding the greedy corporations that eat them up. I can promise to take advantage of this time to start cleaning up the Senate. The bureaucrats will have no place here!

I am the leader that can help you in these times, and I can promise, my motives are pure. I have always been on the side of peace, and humanitarian aid. For those of you who have seen, I have always been amongst the lead members in support of bills for humanitarian aid and peace.

Is that not what we need? I promise, justice for Palpatine's death will be served, but it will be done correctly, and fairly, once we have the full story, not with just speculations.

I promise you this. Once we get through all of this, and into peace, we will be the great Republic that we were once known as. Bureaucracy will be hunted down, taxes will be lowered, corruption will be ended, and peace will be triumphant!"

Some applause rings out from the senators, but he can tell that most of them seem to be siding with Orn. Unless Master Windu arrives soon, war will break out soon. Of course, all seven of the other candidates have to do their speeches, and then with the election taking a few minutes, it would probably be about fifteen minutes for the Jedi to arrive. They should have time. Of course, everything works well theoretically...

"Senator Organa talks of peace!" Orn says, almost laughing.

"How can we have peace, when the Jedi are assassinating our leaders? Right now, we do not need peace, we need action. We need to act soon, before the evil Jedi escape our grasp. We need to act. This is not a time for peace.

I simply regret to tell Senator Organa that right now is not the time for a leader like him. We need someone willing to strike, and move quickly, like our beloved former Chancellor. We need action. If we do not strike now, then they will scatter, and start up a new war.

How is that for peace? We do not want patience, or or negotiation. Was that how we defeated the Separatists? I think not! We need to squash this spark of Jedi rebellion before it catches fire!

Senators, the best way to create peace is to eliminate our enemies. We need to be quick, and we need to show no mercy.

Once peace is achieved by my methods, I can promise you an end to corruption, and a break in your people's taxes. I can promise aid to help rebuild. But, we need this peace, and we need it now, if that is to happen.

With the Jedi, there can be no peace. We need to eliminate their threat. I can promise you, my policies will bring peace and justice, and not let another war begin. How is that for ironic? The peaceful senator from Alderaan will bring us into war, but I, who push for this aggression, will bring us peace!

It is not in the method, it is in the result. I can promise you that once we get through this, and end the Jedi Order's ways, we will be in a new era of glory. Help me, senators, and bring us into this new era, filled with peace!"

"Now, who wants to go next?" Taa asks, in a challenging way.

1.5 minutes earlier

Council chambers

Status: Concerned

"We need to hurry, and act, before Senator Taa destroys the Order," Mace says.

Yoda frowns. Mace is way too hurried, and rushed. He is seeming to be quite stressed by the whole ordeal. "Fear not, Master Windu. Turn out fine, everything will. Need to hurry, you do not."

Mace is now in his speeder, zooming towards the Senate.

Mace frowns. "Turning out fine, until Orn's clones starting marching into the temple, slaughtering everyone."

"What are you planning to do once you reach the Senate?" Shaak Ti asks, and Yoda hopes that his answer doesn't involve murdering Orn, or something crazy that is like it.

"I will tell them what we did, and why we did it, then try to convince Orn to step step down. Plus, I can show them this." He holds out a small holorecorder.

"I secretly placed this in Palpatine's office during our duel. It will have evidence of that he is a Sith," he says, grinning.

Well, at least Mace is still thinking, a little bit. Perhaps, though, they need to find out something... "And if Orn is still elected, and marches the temple?"

Mace frowns, then says, "Then I will tell you to order the evacuation, and I will try to eliminate Orn, or convince him to step down."

Yoda frowns. Mace is still a bit... paranoid, but it is not very bad. He will do fine. Or, least, he hopes so. If not, then someone more rational will need to take over.

And if Mace is indeed right about the severity of the danger, then Yoda will make sure that they can evacuate in time. But that won't happen. Either he will make sure that things don't get that far out of hand, or Mace will. One way or another, peace will prevail.


	15. Chapter 15

Senate Landing platform

Status: Hurried

Mace quickly gets out of the speeder, throwing his leg over the edge, and then leaping out. He breaks into a run, dodging past one of the Senate Guards. He already can hear the voices, giving speeches, as he navigates through the corridors.

They seem to be speeches about elections, and they don't seem to be Jedi friendly, so it is clear that he has very little time. He will need to be quick, before it is too late. He runs past another guard, then navigates even closer towards the chamber. He finally steps onto one of the Senate pods, currently occupied by three Sullustans, all in fine red robes.

Speaking quickly, he says, "I am Jedi Master Mace Windu, and I am here on behalf of the Jedi Order. Please, let me take this," he says, pointing toward the controls for the pod.

"Master Jedi, get your own pod!" the Senator says, very annoyed, based on the emotions that he senses.

"I don't have time for this," Mace says, equally angry, and annoyed. He pushes the Senator to the side, then goes for the controls. He quickly navigates the pod into the center part of the circle, facing Orn, while the Sullustan still futilely tries to wrestle back the controls.

"Jedi!" Orn says, disgust in his voice. "Please give the controls back to Senator Tinray, or the guards will have to take you out of here."

"I will be allowed to speak," Mace says, not attempting a Jedi mind trick, but leaving intimidation in his voice. He leaves no room for argument, but Orn is quite bold.

"I think not. Threats will go nowhere, Master Jedi!" he says, trying to sound intimidating as well.

Mace almost laughs. "That remains to be seen," he says, and reaches out with the Force. With his telekinesis, he lifts up Orn, then pulls him over the edge of the pod.

"Kill or stun me, and you go down, too!" Mace says. "Now, the choice is yours! Fall to your death, or let me speak!" Orn looks like he is staring at all nine hells of Corellia.

Yoda's Quarters

Status: Uneasy

Obi-Wan frowns. It felt like they were done. Sidious is dead, Anakin has regained trust in the Council, and it seems like everything is perfect. But, it isn't. Just when peace returns, a new problem is already arising.

They said that they were done with secret meetings. Well, now, these are matters that cannot be openly discussed with Mace, so they have to return to a secret meeting. Yoda had considered inviting Anakin, but they are not sure that he is ready. Now, the secret meetings consist of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and ghost Qui-Gon.

They all sit on the stools that are inside his quarters, even though Qui-Gon doesn't really sit. Yoda finally says, "The subject of Master Windu, discuss it, we must." Both the other Jedi nod.

"Has Windu been like this for awhile?" Qui-Gon asks, still somewhat oblivious to what has happened recently. Both Yoda and Obi-Wan shake their heads. "No, very recent, this is," Yoda says.

Qui-Gon nods. "Well, then, has he done anything beyond what we saw at this meeting?"

Yoda shakes his head no, but Obi-Wan says, "Yes, he has. I saw it when we fought the Chancellor. Sidious, when empowered by rage, was stronger than us. Master Windu saw that the only way to win was to drip into the Dark Side. So, he did. We disarmed him, and then he was executed by Mace."

Qui-Gon nods, saying, "I see. Still how did the Dark Side help. It isn't stronger, so how can it have defeated him?"

Yoda traces the wrinkles in his cranium, saying, "Tell me of this, you did not, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan smiles. "Well I decided to save the information for a secret meeting."

Yoda nods, and says, "Disturbing, this is. But still, how the Dark Side could have helped, know, I do not."

Qui-Gon thinks, and finally says, "Perhaps Sidious only gave Mace the illusion of greater power through the Dark Side. What if, once Mace increased his fury, he started to not give his fullest effort?"

Obi-Wan scratches his beard. "Well, Sidious would not give up his life in order to turn Mace. Sith are selfish, only focused on themselves."

Yoda raises an eyebrow, and asks, "Well, then, the cause of this... anomaly, what is?"

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon puzzle over this, then finally Qui-Gon says, "I don't know. Obi-Wan, can you confirm that nothing funny was going on?"

Obi-Wan nods, saying, "I am certain that Mace's power increased with rage, but as to why, that is a mystery that will have to wait. Right now, we need to decide what to do with Master Windu."

It seems like the obvious thing to do, as Mace is the whole point of this meeting.

Yoda seems to consider it, and then nods. He says, "Yes, time, it is."

Qui-Gon says, "So, should we simply talk with him?"

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "Is that really necessary? Mace is a Jedi Master, he can overcome his inner darkness."

"Perhaps, simply offer our help, we should. Leave it up to Mace, we can," Yoda suggests.

"Or should we wait? Perhaps it is best to wait longer, until we can get further knowledge," Qui-Gon says, probably thinking about the fact that they still lack plenty of information.

"But, wait until it may be too late, a bad decision, that is," Yoda says, tracing the wrinkles of his forehead.

Obi-Wan frowns. "A little talk can't hurt. With our help, Mace should be able to overcome his inner struggle. It shouldn't be that hard."

"Gone, the Sith will be, once Mace has won the fight inside himself. A long era of peace, come it will, if stop Mace's darkness we do," Yoda says, likely thinking about their future.

"What are suggesting?" Obi-Wan asks, rather confused by the statement.

Yoda frowns, not realizing how random the statement was. "High, the stakes are, and great the prize is, for victory. Careful we must be, or lose this future, we may."

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon nod. It is very true. Doing too much can't hurt. "Then, it is settled that we simply talk with him, until we decide otherwise?" Obi-Wan asks, curious as to what the other masters think.

They both nod. "It seems like the logical solution," Qui-Gon simply says.

"Agree, I do," Yoda says, confirming verbally.

1 minute earlier

Galactic Senate

Status: Confused/Terrified

"Fine! Fine!" Orn yells, eyes as wide as Faredian Melons. Mace grins.

"I am Jedi Master Windu, here on behalf of the Order. Now, I know how this looks, like we murdered your beloved Chancellor, but there are things that you do not know. What I am here to say is that Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord!"

Shouts of many things ring out, some say that the Jedi are just paranoid, some say that they simply don't believe it, some say that they want more explanation, and some say that his being a Sith changes nothing. He signals for them to finish their comments, but they pay him no attention.

He raises his voice even louder, and yells, "I have proof!" He sticks his datacard into a proper slot, presses a few buttons, and then the room is illuminated by the blue light of holograms. It shows the Chancellor's Office, with Palpatine sitting in it calmly. Then, the doors open, and reveal Mace, Obi-Wan, Agen and Saesee.

Senate Chambers, pod of Senator Amidala

Status: Confused

Padmé watches the hologram that Mace Windu shows closely. Of course, she assumes that the Jedi are telling the truth, but she needs to stay unbiased as a Senator. But honestly, could it be possible that the Jedi are not as good as they seem?

Anakin.

The word shocks her. She always thought that she knew Anakin, but what if she didn't what if Anakin wasn't on her side? What if the Jedi are truly not good? What is going on? Still, it makes sense. With Palpatine as a Sith, everything seems to click into place. The war, a mere tool. The clones, his perfect weapon. All of the deception, a clever plan. So that is how he managed to stay in power for so long.

It is time to turn her focus to the hologram. It appears that Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin have just entered Palpatine's office. "Master Windu," Palpatine says, using a friendly voice. "I take it the CIS has been destroyed?" This seems innocent enough. It would be a fairly normal thing to say. What if Mace has been deceived?

Mace says nothing, simply staring, and then a confused looking Palpatine adds, "I must say, you're here sooner than expected..."

Mace gives a look that says it is time to get down to business. Interrupting Palpatine, he says, "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic of the Republic, you're under arrest, Chancellor."

All four of the Jedi simultaneously activate their lightsabers. Padmé notes that there is no surprise in the Chancellor, and from what she sees, not even hidden surprise. From what she can tell, Palpatine saw it coming.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine asks, raising an eyebrow, and Padmé wonders why he isn't just getting down to business. Perhaps he is actually innocent. Practically spitting out the words, with a distinct anger in his voice, Mace says, "The Senate will decide your fate."

Palpatine smiles. Responding in a deeper, more intimidating voice, he says, "I am the Senate." At that, Mace's eyes narrow, and he simply says, "Not yet."

Palpatine nods. "So it's treason, then." The Chancellor/Sith Lord stands up, hands at his sides. Without anyone moving a muscle, a lightsaber comes out from under Palpatine's sleeve and into his hand, all in the blink of an eye. Its crimson blade comes alive a moment later.

Then, blazing into motion, Palpatine, who may or may not be a Sith, yells, "Arrrrgh!" and leaps over his desk, landing at the feet of the Jedi, poised and ready to lunge. Well, that seems to settle it, as long as the recording is not faked.

Nobody seems to want to move, but eventually, the Sith moves, lunging for Agen. It is clear that the Zabrak Jedi will not react in time, but Obi-Wan moves to block the potentials lethal strike. However, the Sith suddenly spins, his blade never making contact with Obi-Wan's, and instead stabs Saesee Tiin. Obi-Wan never stands a chance at helping. Well, having murdered someone also seals the deal. Of course, it was in self defense. Just after the Jedi dies, Mace swings at Palpatine, who blocks with ease. Mace unleashes a flurry of attacks but his opponent, who seems to be more skilled, and as such, they are all blocked. Then, Palpatine turns to the other two remaining Jedi.

He strikes quickly at Obi-Wan, who blocks with a fair amount of ease. However, the next strike comes at an unsuspecting Agen, who barely parries in time. Mace comes in to stop Sidious from releasing a second strike, but the Sith steps out of the way, and Mace can barely stop himself from colliding with Agen.

Mace throws his head back, a lunge passing over him, but unfortunately connecting with Agen's neck. Mace shows some anger, and he strikes at Sidious, who once again parries. Obi-Wan leaps into the fray, starting to help Mace parry Sidious's relentless attacks.

From what Padmé sees, Obi-Wan focuses on defending for both of them, protecting Mace. Mace spends his energy and focus with attacking, but still staying within range for Obi-Wan to help him. The duel starts to get repetitive, with neither opponent doing anything other what they did before, both of them staying stable, from what she can tell. As such, she takes time to consider what is occurring.

The recording seems to be accurate, and fairly honest. The duelist are very skilled, but she is no expert. Palpatine seems to be a great duelist, and not just an actor trying to make it look like he is a Sith. An actor's portrayal of lightsaber combat still seems to be imperfect, but what Padmé sees before her is something different, that of a true duelist.

Of course, an analysis could further prove the identities, but those are only so accurate. The integrity of the recording is the thing that is very questionable. Only then will they truly be able to see what is going on.

Then, her thoughts are interrupted by an angry scream from Palpatine. She can see that Palpatine is gaining a slight advantage. Then, Mace from the hologram lets out equal anger in the form of a comment relating to Palpatine not taking over the Republic. Then, Palpatine's defenses seem to struggle, so he gives up his offense. Still, it is not enough.

She can see that Mace is simply too powerful. With about twenty seconds of Mace's anger, Obi-Wan pleas for Mace to hold back, and not give into the temptation of power. "Obi-Wan, I will do what I must!" Mace yells. Then, she sees Palpatine... smiling? Why would the doomed Sith smile in his death?

Whatever the case, Palpatine reaches to attack Obi-Wan, but Mace severs his lightsaber. The Sith sends out a weird blue lightning from his fingers, but Mace somehow blocks it with his hand. Then, Mace swings his lightsaber, ending the life of Darth... whoever he is. The hologram ends, and the Senators immediately start yelling out their opinions.


	16. Chapter 16

Senate Chambers, pod being used by Mace Windu

Status: Concerned

Mace frowns. He hears what the Senators say, and the reaction is not terribly good. Most say that they wanted the recording to be checked for authenticity, and Palpatine's actions to be further investigated, but not all. Some say that either way, the Jedi did not act within the legal limits of their power, and should have done what they did within the constraints of the law.

Still, others say that they Jedi should be pardoned. Others say that they should be arrested and killed on the spot. Perhaps there is some good left in the Senate. He raises a hand, and says, "Now, Senators, know this: When Darth Revan created a war that nearly destroyed the entire galaxy, it was agreed in the Senate that being a Sith is illegal!"

Orn chuckles, and moves his pod even closer to Mace's. "Oh, really? You should stay further updated, Jedi! During the Great Galactic Peace, 394 years ago to be exact, any sort of religious persecution or bias was outlawed and made illegal. That includes the laws against the Sith, which, if you look it up, is now nullified. You acted outside the law, Jedi, and you will answer for it!"

Mace frowns. He should have known that, but however, "It is also stated that in an emergency, the Jedi Council is allowed to decide on matters, through their best judgement, and that they can defy the martial law, if they deem it just, and they have no time, or cannot act through standard legal means. I think that what happened with the Chancellor is such a situation."

Orn raises an eyebrow. "That remains to be seen, Jedi. The Senate will try you, and we shall see."

Hmm... not good. They need to keep Orn out of power, and the only way to effectively create a stable position in the Chancellor's office... "Senator, I think that we need to adjourn this meeting, and let cooler heads prevail. We need time to wait, and think, because in such a situation, we all will need to take a while considering what to do, including the Jedi Order. Perhaps we elect our new Chancellor this afternoon."

Bail brings his pod into the mix. "I very much agree, Master Jedi. I think that we should wait." Most of the Senators say similarly, and Mas Amedda, in the Chancellor pod, says, "It is agreed, then. We shall wait until then, and adjourn for now."

1 hour later

Council Chambers

Obi-Wan sighs. With the Sith gone, he had thought that troubles were over. Now, new problems are already arising, and now things are starting to look like they might have a legitimate threat once again. One problem just leads to another, but once the Senate calms down, they should finally be able to have peace.

Yoda clears his throat. "What have you to say, Master Windu?"

Mace stands in the center of the Council Chambers, ready to give his report on what happened with the Senate. "I arrived there, with Senators giving speeches about why they should be elected as the new Chancellor. I calmed everyone down, and showed them the recording. Orn and I had a discussion about whether we had the legal power to do what we did, and it was agreed that we would wait and give everyone time to think about things. They will meet again, and do the election, at 1300 this afternoon. I am sure that if we do nothing, Orn will get elected, and he will try us for killing Palpatine."

The Jedi nod, but Yoda says, "So sure of this, you are?"

Mace nods. "The Senators were like a mob, and not many were supporting us."

Shaak Ti raises an eyebrow, and adds, "But perhaps once they have time to think, they will be less aggressive."

Mace's face flashes with a hint of anger for just a second, and then he says, "I don't think so. As I said before, we will need to take control of the Senate."

Plo Koon shakes his head. "Such aggressive behavior will only aggravate them."

Most of the Jedi nod at this, but Mace says, "Then we will need to take control in another way."

Qui-Gon raises an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting?"

"We will need to gain the office of Chancellor. If we have a Chancellor loyal to us, the rest of the Senate will stabilize."

Obi-Wan is first to ask the obvious question. "And who would that be?" he asks.

"Senator Organa seems to support us, and he is quite well liked," Anakin says.

Mace nods. "This is true, but from what I saw, Orn has more power than any other Senator right now. He is firmly against us, so I don't know what to..."

Obi-Wan senses a massive wave of realization coming from Mace, and he assumes that the other Jedi do, as well. Mace then says, "Master Yoda, from what I see, the Senate is not against us, they are merely with Orn. They pretend to be against us, so that they can earn favor with who they think will be their future Chancellor. So, perhaps, would you be willing to enter the election as a candidate for our Order. You might be able to win against Orn!"

Yoda shakes his head sadly. "The pursuit of power, the Jedi way, it is not. Attempt to become Chancellor, I will not."

"So, the only option is to wait, and support Senator Organa," Ki-Adi says, shaking his head sadly.

"I think so," Obi-Wan says.

"I." Yoda.

"I." Plo.

"I." Luminara.

"I." Coleman.

"I." Agen.

20 minutes later

Yoda's Quarters

"You summoned me, Master?" Mace asks. Yoda nods, though it is somewhat hidden in the intense shadows. "Another secret meeting, this is not. A more... personal matter, this is." Of course, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss Mace's darkness. He hopes that it will work, and calm down the lust for power within Mace. If it doesn't, and similarly designed attempt have similar results, then they will need to form an... alternative solution.

Mace raises an eyebrow. "This matter, is it about you?"

Yoda shakes his head. "No. About you, it is."

Mace frowns, and raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Darkness, in you, it is. Sense it, I can," Yoda says, deciding to go out boldly. Anything else might seem weird, or seem like it includes deception.

Mace considers the statement for a long while, then finally says, "It is, but it is kept in check, carefully, like Vaapad. As proven in the success of Vaapad, anger and hate can being power, but when kept at a moderate level, they do not corrupt."

Yoda can hardly resist laughing. "Fallen to the Dark Side, both your students of Vaapad have. Dangerous, it is. Simply kept in check, such emotions cannot be. If purged, they are not, then grow, they will."

Mace gives a shocked look. "Are you asking me to quit Vaapad?!"

This was not Yoda's intention, but, when he thinks about it, the idea might be a great one. Perhaps without Vaapad, Mace can be saved. Maybe he should do that. "Yes. But only part of it, this is."

Mace's eyes narrow in anger. "Vaapad is my masterpiece! It has made me very powerful, and I will not quit it just like that. And what do you mean by other things?"

Yoda is taken aback by such an extreme response. Perhaps it is worse than he first thought. But still, all the more reason to make him quit Vaapad. "Darkness, within you, it is. A lust for power, you have. And an attachment to the Republic, you have."

Mace frowns, clearly not liking what is going on one bit. "But please, Master Yoda. I need Vaapad. What is so bad about power, anyway? If we have no power, how can we help anyone at all? Why do we train in lightsaber combat, or hone our skills in the Force? We need power!"

This has taken a turn for the worst. "Power, through serenity, okay, it is. But when created through anger, very bad, and dangerous, it is. Corrupt you, it can," he says, pointing his finger at Kace during the final sentence.

"Careful, you must be, Mace, or become the very thing you swore to destroy, you will. Make you quit Vaapad, I will, but from there, up to you, I will leave it. Meditate on it, you must."

2 minutes earlier

Jedi Temple Sparring Arena

Status: Filled with sparring

Obi-Wan heads toward the sparring arena, stressed, and ready to wear off some of it with combat. It is something that he often enjoys, assuming he can find someone willing to face off against the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi. That doesn't always happen.

The sparring arena is quite full, with several duos of Jedi battling eachother. A particularly intense looking battle occurs in one area, where eight Jedi Knights appear to be engaged in a 4 v. 4 battle. He heads toward the sides, trying to find someone to spar with. He spots two Jedi talking on one side, where no duels take place. The arena is arranged in a circle shape, about eight meters high and 20 meters in diameter. The center is open, while the outside part is lined with small pedestals that some Jedi choose to duel on top of.

About halfway up to the ceiling, thin bars go across the room, creating a cross pattern that more skilled and coordinated Jedi occasionally choose to fight atop.

The two Jedi stand behind the pedestals, where no dueling takes place, and they seem to be recapping a recent duel. One of them, a particularly short Chadra-Fan that looks to be about 25 standard years of age, turns to him, and he says, "Master Kenobi! Are you looking for a sparring partner?"

"Why yes, indeed," he quickly says.

The other, a Sullustan female, turns to him when the Chadra-Fan says, "Do you want to do a two on one?"

Obi-Wan smiles, then jokingly says, "So you aren't confident enough to face me alone?"

The Chadra-Fan chuckles, and says, "Guilty as charged."

The Sullustan frowns. "Hey, why did you just volunteer me to spar?"

The Chadra-Fan smiles, and laying his voice with heavy sarcasm, he says, "C'mon, the great Neecha Sta would never back down from a challenge!"

Neecha, as her name apparently is, says, "Fine, Rang, let's go."

Obi-Wan nods. "Would you perhaps want to fight atop the bars?"

Both nod. "My favorite!" Rang says.

The trio Force jumps to the top, and switch their sabers to training mode. Obi-Wan stands on one end, and Rang and Neecha stand on another, with the cross part between them. They activate their sabers, and Obi-Wan charges for the center. Rang and Neecha do similarly, they both clearly want to have the better position at the center, where two bars intersect.

They both are equally fast, and each end up with the center about a meter in front of them. Neecha sends out a quick flurry of strikes, and the set is one that Obi-Wan recognizes as being from Niman. He blocks all of them with ease.

Then, Rang leaps out from behind Neecha, grabbing the bar and swinging under Obi-Wan. The more experienced Jedi Master easily deflects a strike at his foot, and nearly hits Rang in his saber arm.

Obi-Wan has no time to follow through, as Neecha sends out another attack, in the form of a lunge angled slightly incorrectly. He is quick to take advantage, redirecting it, then spinning his saber so as to disarm his opponent.

However, at the last second, he has to break off, parrying an attack from Rang. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees an opportunity, and swings his foot out, at Neecha, trying to trip her. The strike makes contact, and though the Jedi Knight manages to keep her balance, it takes time.

He simply swings for her feet, and she barely manages to back flip backwards to safety. Obi-Wan is quick to take advantage the fact that he is now in a one on one situation, so he blocks two attacks from Rang, then goes back to his own Ataru training.

He lunges high, and Rang barely parries. He quickly follows through, leaping sideways and striking at an exposed flank, before grabbing the bar, and bringing himself back atop it. Rang however, after being hit by the blade, falls off, yelling "Solah" as he goes down.

Obi-Wan lands on the center part, where the two bars meet, and Neecha charges in, lightsaber ready. She keeps a balanced form, as would be expected from Niman, but since Obi-Wan does little in terms of attack, everything she devotes to her defense seems a bit odd.

However, the balance works somewhat well. Though Obi-Wan sticks with the passive defense of Soresu, he is always waiting for an opponent to devote too much towards attack, so that he can make an easy strike at a weak spot once they err.

However, since Neecha keeps so much "reserve defense," he cannot find an easy opening to exploit, despite his extreme superiority. He parries with so much ease, so it is time for a change of tactics. Switching to Ataru, he unleashes a deadly saber swarm, which are all blocked, but only barely. He prepares to send out more, but waits for her to cry "Solah," which is a cry of surrender.

She does not say it, so he does another swift series of attacks, this one ending the fight. She doesn't fall off after his lunge hits her chest, but she winces in pain, and says, "Would you like to go again, with Rang and I?"

He is about to say yes, but then he hears something, from down below, with a Master and Padawan talking.

"So, Daljak, it is time for you to pick a style. I will fight you, and try to give advice on what suits you, but what it is your choice. Do have any ideas as of yet?"

The Padawan, Daljak, says, "Yes, Master. I have looked into it, and I wish to learn Vaapad. I feel that it suits me very well."

"Umm... Daljak... No," the Master says, simply.

Daljak frowns, and says, "But you said that I could..." The conversation gives Obi-Wan an idea.

"Excuse me, Neecha," he says, leaping down to the two Jedi.

The Jedi gives confused looks, and he quickly says, before they can say anything, "Perhaps Master Windu himself could tell you the dangers of Vaapad. I am sure that he would be happy to take a few seconds to explain it."

The Jedi offer confused looks, but they aren't about to argue with him. Of course, they don't need to know that the lesson will be for Windu just as much as it is for them.


	17. Chapter 17

I am so sorry for the lack of updates! I will be going back to daily updates, though. :)

This chapter may be somewhat boring, as it primarily takes place inside Mace's head. However, it is important, as it goes into detail with Mace's logic, and explains his plans for what he will do next. Enjoy chapter 17!

1 minute later

Just outside Yoda's Chambers

Status: Stressed

Mace Windu sighs as he leaves Yoda's chambers. Making him quit Vaapad is certainly a bad mistake. It will only weaken the Jedi Order. Why is Yoda doing it? He was fine with it a few years ago, but now he isn't? Then, it only worsens when Obi-Wan comes up to him, a Jedi Master following behind, with a Padawan behind him.

What could Obi-Wan possibly want? He sighs and looks at Obi-Wan, waiting for him to explain what he wants. "Master Windu, Padawan Daljak here wants to learn Vaapad. I was wondering if you would like to... you know, explain why he shouldn't use it."

Mace frowns. Obi-Wan never has done anything like this before, why is he doing it now? Something weird is definitely occurring. "Padawan Daljak, do you feel that without any doubt whatsoever, you are stronger than any lure of the Dark Side?"

The Padawan is not sure how to answer, but after thinking for a while, he says, "Yes. I am capable."

Mace nods, and says, "Then I have no qualm against your decision. Vaapad is a powerful style, and one that will increase your effectiveness greatly. With it, you can become a powerful Jedi. However, the voice against it is not mine. It belongs to Master Yoda. Just recently, he has forbidden me from using Vaapad. The style will no longer be used, and I am sorry. He feels that none of us are too strong to escape the lure of darkness, so he bans all of us from studying it.

The Padawan nods, somewhat sad, but still clearly elated in the fact that Mace agrees with him. Mace sighs, both exasperated and confused. What was Obi-Wan doing? As the Padawan and his Master go back to the sparring arena, he hears Yoda talking to Obi-Wan.

"Clever, you are, Master Kenobi," the older Jedi says. What does he mean by that? Mace decides to stop, and use his Force empowered senses to listen in on what they are saying. He turns round a corner as to stay out of their line of sight, then begins to listen.

Obi-Wan chuckles, and says, "Thank you, Master Yoda."

Then Yoda says, "Backfired, your plan may have, but at least, critical information, we have." Are they in on some sort of conspiracy? Are they plotting against him? Things seem to fit together when he realizes this. Yoda took power from him, and now Obi-Wan tried to make him support Yoda. He smiles at his small victory in ruining Obi-Wan's plan.

Then Obi-Wan says, "Master Yoda, did you really take Vaapad from him?"

Mace can imagine Yoda nodding as he says, "Yes. When to mind, the idea did, take Vaapad away, I did. Too dangerous, the style is." So Yoda just took it away completely on the fly? He is cruel! But if Obi-Wan didn't even know that, then they must not be planning too much, and going more extemporaneously.

"Yes, I know what you, mean, but I fear that it is too late. He is falling faster than I thought. What should we do?"

"The full power of the Council, we need. A full meeting, minus Windu, we must hold. Then, make a decision, we will."

Then there is silence. The seem to be conspiring against him, but why? Perhaps he needs to talk with them, and try to find out. No, they would never tell him. Perhaps he needs to go to his quarters, and think about what is going on. He needs a plan. A plan to deal with the rest of the Jedi stealing his power, as well as a plan to deal with the Senate.

If Yoda refuses to do anything about the Senate, and the chaos is taking over, then he will just have to do it himself. But maybe he does have supporters. He will need to see. The padawan he just talked to seems to be on his side. How many, that is the question.

So much confusion. Perhaps he needs to do what Yoda suggested, and meditate on everything, or at least think. But, he needs the privacy of his quarters. It is a bit odd just standing in the hall doing nothing.

2 minutes later

Mace's quarters

Status: Uncertain

Mace enters his quarters, quickly sitting down in the chair that is practically identical to the one he has in the Council. As a member of the Council, he is given quarters on the far outside portion of the temple, where there are windows, but he currently has the shades shut, giving the room a very dark feel. Not that it matters, as he closes his eyes, entering a state of calmness, and thought.

He steadies his breathing, into the normal rate that he uses for meditation. Sitting cross-legged, hands in his lap, it is completely normal for his meditation. However, this is no normal meditation. What he decides will have a critical effect on his future, and that of the Jedi Order itself. How can he stop Orn Free Taa from destroying the Jedi Order?

If Orn becomes Chancellor, stopping him would be very difficult indeed. The Jedi would become enemies of the Republic, and that would not be ideal. The clones, now controlled by Orn, would bring about the destruction of the Jedi Order, and the power hungry Chancellor would likely turn the Republic into an Empire, taking advantage of laws from when Palpatine was in power.

The only logical way to stop it would be to prevent Orn from ever entering power. They would need to get a Chancellor that would be on their side, and that would have to mean Bail. Of course, the Senate seems to assume that Bail will lose, so they side with Orn, in an attempt to befriend their future Chancellor. Perhaps they could campaign for Bail, and help him win. No, it would not be enough, and since there is so little time in the first place, they would not be able to do anything.

No, they would need to throw around something else, something different. Something that could defeat Orn. The logical possibility for that would be a Jedi. They were, after all, Chancellors long ago, but it had been a long time since a Jedi had taken the position. They had chosen not to do it, as searching for power is not the Jedi way.

Now, a Jedi Chancellor is needed, but Yoda will not accept it, and for the same reasons as previous Jedi. Why does he have to be so... unwilling to do what is needed? Why does Yoda seem so against power? Surely, that isn't the Jedi way?

Without power, by definition, they can do nothing. The fact is, the Jedi need power. If they want to do more good in the galaxy, they need to have the power to do it. They need power. It is the simple solution. If they just accepted power, Yoda could be enter the election for Chancellor, and save the Order.

Are the Jedi simply ignorant about the fact that they need power? The quest for greater power, for increased abilities, is only natural. As a matter of fact, most of the things that the Jedi go against are only natural. Marriage, and love, are a core facet of humanity. But, since the bring power, as emotion does, they are fought against. The only reason that it is now allowed is so that it is too hard to control, not because the Jedi believe it is right.

Anger, too, is only natural. It brings power, and strengthens. But, the Jedi fight it. How can one not feel anger, at injustice? Anger brings power, and, like anything else, is a tool that can be used.

But perhaps it is like Yoda said, and power through serenity is okay, but when created through passion, it is dangerous. But why, exactly? Is passion simply too much? If it is, then why? Why is the line there?

Why are the Jedi so arrogant about their ways? Perhaps there is another way. Power is needed, in these times, just like it was needed so much in times before. The Jedi need power, and if they do not want it, then... then he will need to show them.

But do the Jedi really avoid power? The Dark Side isn't stronger, and as such, passion, and all its facets, are not either. Then how come the Jedi avoid going into a position of political power? The Jedi said it, power corrupts. If even they admit to avoiding power, then that means that they are.

The Dark Side is stronger, and it is more powerful. It is what the Jedi need. And, with the valuable help that they could have, they simply deny it, and stay in their narrow-minded, arrogant, weak, old ways, that weaken the Order, and by extension of that, the Republic. It is shown in Vaapad. The style makes him stronger, but they do not let him use it, as a result of its darkness.

It was shown in his duel with Palpatine. Only through his anger and hate, did he defeat him. What do the Jedi think he should have done, not used his anger, and then let Sidious kill him, Obi-Wan, and then destroy the rest of the Order?

The Jedi have made themselves weak, and it is time for him to heal them. But how? Plus, he still needs to stop Orn, since nobody else seems to be willing to do it. Perhaps the two can be connected. If he can stop Orn, then he can show how his ways are better, and obviously, more powerful.

He will take the position of power, as Chancellor, and show the Jedi how a search for power is needed. He will prove to them what power can do, and if some don't believe him, then they will be outvoted. He will show them, and democracy will bring about change.

It will save the Jedi Order, and justice will be restored. All he needs to do is become Chancellor. It can't be that hard, can it? What if it fails? The question strikes him, as the power of reality coming back at him. He will need to make sure he wins the vote, or else...

He shudders, not wanting to think about it. That will mean that he will need to do whatever it takes, even more unsavory tactics. Of course, the rest of the Order won't need to know that. All they will need to know is that he saved them, and that his idea of achieving more power is the destiny of the Order.

The new law allowing marriage is proof. Passion cannot be fought. It is too critical to the meaning of existence. To exist, to be sentient, one must feel. That is the weakness of the Jedi Order. Too feel is to have motivation, and to have motivation is to have power. To have power is to have victory, and to have victory is to have justice.

The strong will rule, for that is the meaning of strength. Strength is what is truly valuable, and the Jedi have ignored it for too long. It is time for change, and one that will bring order, justice, and power to the Jedi Order, and peace to the galaxy.

He will show them, and they will listen. If they do not listen, then they will be proven wrong, and, if needed, killed. The old fool, Master Yoda will lose power, and at that thought, he smiles. Then, he will be able to make things the way he wants them to be. The way that they should be. He will show the power of power, he will show his power, and he will bring the Jedi Order power.

Then, and only then, can the galaxy be the way it should be. And they will have peace. An eternity of peace, with the strong ruling, and the Jedi triumphant.


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry for the delay again. Here it is, Mace trying to stop a Republic civil war:

3 hours, 30 minutes later

Senate Chambers, guest pod, used by Mace Windu

Status: Concerned

Mas Amedda, occupying the Chancellor's pod, in a loud, booming voice, says, "Now, we shall discuss the issue of the new Chancellor. Anyone who wishes for candidacy, please speak now."

"I will be running," Orn immediately says, his jowls shaking as he practically yells the statement. Mace nods. This is something that he completely expected, just like everyone else in the Senate. Another Senator is about to announce it as well, from what he can sense, but before she speaks, he cuts her off, saying, "The Jedi Order has considered the decision, and I will be running for the position of Chancellor. This is something used in the times of old, and it held us together during the wars against the Sith. Now, it is time for a Jedi to lead once again!" It is somewhat of a lie, the Jedi never gave him permission to do this, but he never said that they did. He simply said that they thought about the issue. Oh, the value of wording.

Almost all of the Senators have something to say at this, but he cannot tell how many are with him, and how many against him. Most of the Senators that are Jedi friendly, and had announced candidacy earlier, such as Bail Organa, do not say anything about running in the election. Between Orn and Mace, they seem to think that they have no chance.

However, those who were running, and were against the Jedi, now do not choose to run either, likely figuring that a Jedi would be a better candidate anyway, or they were not wanting to split opposition against Orn. For those who were not Jedi friendly, and planning to run, seem to figure that they have so little chance, they decide that becoming a candidate simply isn't worth it, given the fact that it might earn them dislike from the future Chancellor.

This is all Mace's speculation, though, and he isn't sure exactly what the reasoning is in the fact that nobody else chooses to run. The Senator's conversations now have died down to a about whisper, and they have been going on for about a minute, now. He has certainly stirred up a debate.

"Order, order!" Amedda suddenly yells, silencing the crowd. They certainly respect, maybe even fear him, as he effectively holds the position of Chancellor as of now, and is given most of control in the more practical matters of the Senate.

He then continues, "Are there any other candidates?" There is simply silence.

"It is settled, then. There are two candidates, Jedi Master Mace Windu, and Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth. We will allow 20 minutes for discussion, and then begin the voting. You may leave this chamber, but please stay in the building until the election is over." 20 minutes is ideal time for Mace. Orn cannot personally influence all of the candidates using his greater skill with speeches, but Mace will have time to find the important ones, and influence them with whatever methods are best.

He moves his pod upwards, out of the center, and to where it is supposed to be, then sits down. He opens himself to the Force, using what is know as the shatterpoint ability. Shatterpoint is a vaguely defined ability, but it has the power to find weaknesses. This can be on a physical scale, such as finding a weak spot in a blast door, that can be Force pushed open, or on a more political scale, such as finding what is going to hurt his chances of winning the most. It allows him to see influence in a whole new way.

As he does it, he finds it much easier than it was before. Within just a few seconds, he finds out the biggest weakness. Senator J'Gud, a Whiphid from Toola, seems to be a critical thing stopping his victory. For whatever reason, he doesn't know why, the Senator's vote and opinion seems to heavily influence the other Senators. Winning him over will be key, so he must do it as soon as possible.

He immediately begins walking, trying to find the Senator, but the Force guides him towards the Whiphid. Within about a minute, he has found the Senator. J'Gud is big, with a height that he would guess to be about 2.7 meters, and his body is quite well-muscled. His clothing combines styles and patterns from both the luxury of Coruscant, and the hunters of Toola. He even carries a bow, that, from what Mace can tell, is some sort of an honor to own, given its gold markings, and ornate design. It also seems quite old, so it would be fair to assume that it has been passed down for a long time.

His intimidating appearance seems to make him more suited for some sort of a clan leader, or legendary hunter, but he has apparently been accepted into the Senate. "Senator J'Gud," Mace says, allowing a slight smile to cross his face.

"Oh, Jedi Master Mace Windu!" the Whiphid says, using his somewhat accented Basic, "I must ask, why is Master Yoda not doing this?" Mace frowns. That is somewhat of a disrespect, but it is understandable, so thinking quickly, he says, "Master Yoda decided that to be Chancellor of the Republic and Grand Master of the Jedi Order would be too much for him."

J'Gud nods, and asks, "Though I must say, how can you be Chancellor if your Order has been branded criminals?"

Mace sighs. This might be harder than he first thought. Perhaps another use of shatterpoint is in order. "We are not criminals yet, and our action against Palpatine was perfectly reasonable. Once we search his office, I am sure that evidence of his vile scheme will be everywhere. We simply needed to act quickly, in the emergency, especially given that we suspect him being behind the entire war, controlling the Separatists under the name of Darth Sidious, while manipulating us as Chancellor Palpatine."

"What concerns me is that you acted before you got proof," J'Gud says. However, as the Senator says this, Mace begins to dip into his shatterpoint. What is the Senator's soft spot? It comes quickly to him. From what he can understand, the Senator has a weak mind, easily influenced by the Force. Still, an ordinary mind trick might become obvious, and it won't last long enough. He needs something different. "It was an emergency!" he finally says, not wanting to be silent for too long.

Then, he gets it. Summoning all his desire to be Chancellor, he reaches into the Senator's mind. The power he uses reeks of the Dark Side, but it is only more proof that the Dark Side is stronger, and it must be used sometimes. He grabs hold of it in the Force, twisting it to his desires as he says, "I will rule justly, and I can promise that Palpatine deserved what he got."

The Whiphid rubs his head, and groans slightly. Maybe it wasn't so subtle, after all. Still, the Senator says, "Yes, I am sure you are right."

Mace grins. At least it worked. The Senator won't have any memory of a Jedi mind trick, and will return to normal in a day or so. Still, he should be polite. "Are you okay, Senator?"

The Whiphid nods. "Oh, I just have a slight headache, that's all."

As he turns away. Mace allows himself a smile. He has a feeling that his actions greatly increased his chances of winning. Still, he needs everything he can get. If Orn wins, then he will have done nothing, and the Jedi will fall. Who else is critical to his victory?

as he searches the ability, he does find that there is someone else that is quite important. A certain Neimoidian Senator seems to be doing quite a bit of influence, and he is currently supporting Orn. Lorn Ruu is his name, as the Force seems to tell him. Again, it seems quite quick, and the Force guides him towards the Senator.

Why is this becoming so easy? It is odd. Why? He thinks about it. The application of it is no easier than when he always does it, but what is making it different, that it is easier? The answer comes quickly. His passion is helping him do it. His passion is giving him power. For so long, he has tried to fight of his passion, for the Jedi and for the Republic. Through Passion I gain Strength. The thought absolutely shocks Mace. "Through Passion I gain Strength" is the second line of the Sith Code. He is not a Sith. But, then again, maybe the Sith aren't wrong about everything. He considers their code.

Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Very true. To say that there is peace would be a lie. Chaos seems to always seep in, things will never stay peaceful forever. The second part is also true. To deny passion is to deny sentience, as he decided before.

Through Passion, I gain Strength. Again, very true. Passion does bring strength, as proven again and again. His passion, recently, has given him increase in the shatterpoint ability.

Through Strength, I gain Power. His strength has given him power. This shatterpoint ability, increased, becomes more useful, and is helping him have power as Chancellor. His strength, derive from passion, also gave him power during his duel with Darth Sidious.

Through Power, I gain Victory. Not even Yoda would dare deny this. The power to have victory causes victory.

Through Victory, my chains are broken. Wow, this is also true. His victory in the vote of Chancellor will break his chains, and his victory over Sidious broke his chains of foolishness, and opened his eyes.

If their code, is so true, then why are the Sith so bad? Why do the simply defy morality so much? Their code says nothing about it. There code, as a matter of fact, gives them no rules. It says nothing about how they should be, it simply states how the galaxy is. The Sith Code is facts, not opinions, and even the Jedi submit to rules of the Sith Code. It still doesn't explain how defying morality comes into the picture.

Perhaps he can think about that later. Right now, it might simply be best to focus on Lorn Ruu, and winning the election. After about twenty seconds, he finds the Neimoidian, and approaches him, with newfound confidence. "Senator Ruu," he says, bowing, deciding that he is still not above politeness and bowing. Not yet, at least. That will be another chain soon broken.

"Master Windu," Ruu responds, similarly. Ruu is clearly a wealthy Neimoidian. From his lavish clothing and golden earrings, to his pudgy stomach and large jowls, to his ornate hat and commanding tone, everything said wealth and power.

"I trust you are doing well?" Mace deciding to begin with small talk.

Ruu nods, and says, "Indeed I am. Though, if you don't mind me asking, how do you feel about your killing of Chancellor Palpatine?"

Mace frowns. It seems like everyone is against him. That is what happens when one only speaks to their opponents. Choosing his words carefully, he says, "I feel great about my killing Darth Sidious. I can say with absolute certainty that he was going to transform this Republic into a dictatorship with him in command."

Ruu nods, and says, "Still, a risky move. You never know for sure, and religious persecution is .strictly forbidden."

Why does this have to be so hard? "I know, I know. Still, that is not what I want to talk about."

He gestures to a more empty part of the hall, where nobody can overhear. Ruu nods, confused, but apparently willing to see what Mace wants. From what Mace can tell, Ruu's weakness is money, and it is about to be exploited.

Once they reach it, he says, still speaking normally, "Ruu, I know that you are an influential Senator, with more political power than your average one. And..." he lowers his voice to a whisper, and moves close to the Neimoidian, "... I can be very generous to my supporters."

Ruu gives a shocked look, but it is clearly somewhat faked, or at least exaggerated. "That is bribery!" he says.

"Yes, it is. And you could tell someone, but if you did, you would be missing out on 100,000 credits," Mace says, watching as Ruu's greedy, yellow eyes, widen in delight, simply incapable of being stopped from saying yes. Still, he is a cautious Neimoidian, so he says, "How do I know that you will follow through?"

"Because I am Jedi, and a man of my word. I hear that whoever becomes Chancellor will be paid very well." Ruu nods, and holds out his hand, for Mace to shake.

"Now, remember, you get the credits, but only if I win," Mace says, clarifying. Ruu nods, and they shake hands.


	19. Chapter 19

10 minutes later

Senate Chambers, Mace Windu's pod

Status: Worried

Mace sighs as he sits back down in his seat in the pod. He has done everything in his power to stop Orn from getting elected. He has bribed, influenced, and talked his way into controlling the most influential voters, but Orn still has much support, and he doesn't know how the election is going to go, and how much his new allies have helped.

All he can do now is trust in the Force. Mas Amedda loudly brings his staff down upon the durasteel of his pod, and the echo reverberates throughout the room, signaling that the twenty minutes is up. "Master Windu, Senator Taa, your time to campaign has been finished," the Chagrian says, his voice calm and cool, seemingly not knowing that if Mace wins the election, he will be dead, as punishment for conspiring with Sidious.

Mace stands tall, bringing his pod toward the center, and Orn does the same. "Would you like to give a speech, for our Senators?" Mas asks, looking to the candidates. Before Mace can say anything, Orn quickly says, "Why yes, indeed." He takes a deep breath, and looks to his Senators.

"My fellow members of the Senate," he begins, taking up a grand, powerful voice, "these recent days have been filled with chaos. Our precious capital, here on Coruscant, has been attacked, our beloved Chancellor was kidnapped, the evil that is the CIS has finally been defeated, the Chancellor was killed, and the Jedi have shown themselves to be traitors. Our enemies are ready to strike again, and we must act fast, and triumph.

The Jedi simply sit right on the doorstep of the Senate, in their temple, and we have not done anything to protect us and the citizens of Coruscant from these traitors. The CIS may have lost their droids, but the organic leadership that is many of the traitorous Senators are still there. Their highest ranks have been killed, with Grievous, Dooku, and the Council gone, and their lowest ranks are gone, with their droids deactivated, but traitorous Senators who fit in the middle are stirring up chaos, trying to find more organic soldiers that can rebuild their army, or hiding away, trying to find a new identity.

What we need is action. We must be swift, and without mercy for traitors to the Republic. The eight pointed star shall fly strong and proud on all flags throughout the galaxy. I can promise quick and merciless action against anyone who claims loyalty to the CIS, and powerful judgement against the Jedi, who killed Chancellor Palpatine.

These Jedi are traitors! We have a criminal running in an election! If this man becomes Chancellor, he will wipe out democracy in the Republic, and tyranny will come upon us! Look at what has happened! He has killed our Chancellor, and now wants to steal the throne. The Jedi are simply power hungry warriors who have finally shown their true nature. We need action, and I beg you to not vote for the Jedi, and let that monster take over!" he says, finishing with a smile as loud applause shakes throughout the building. Still, it is not as bad as it could be. Perhaps he still has a chance.

Mace didn't fully prepare a speech, but he got some ideas together about the basic layout of how he would do it, and he isn't that bad at improvising speeches. Plus, he has another ally, the Force. As takes a deep breath, preparing to begin, he draws on the Force, trying to create a general aura of something that the Senators would like.

He puts the power of the Force into his words, but since it is spread out across the entire Senate, there is not much effect on each individual Senator. Still, it is better than nothing. "Members of the Senate," he says, realizing that it is also exactly the same as how Orn started, "Well we may have acted rashly, and aggressively, we saved the Republic. My holofilm has been analyzed, and Mas Amedda can tell you the results, as an unbiased figure in this."

He gestures toward Amedda, who with a sigh, says, "What the Jedi gave us is genuine. It is confirmed that the Sith in it was Chancellor Palpatine."

Once Amedda is silent, the the Senators quiet down, he says, "In addition, a look into his files shows that he has hidden many things. We have not had time to look through everything, but Mas Amedda will show what has been found." He again gestures toward Amedda.

"We found this conversation, and analyzation has confirmed it to be between Chancellor Palpatine and Count Dooku."

Then, the room is lit up in the blue light of a hologram. It shows Palpatine, who is unrecognizable in his hooded robe, and Dooku, in his standard clothing. Palpatine says, "Lord Tyranus," as arrows and labels show the figure to be Palpatine.

"Lord Sidious," Dooku says, bowing.

"It is time for you to join General Grievous in his attack on Coruscant. The General will be coming to kidnap me soon, and you must join him aboard his flagship. You will prove to be quite a surprise if the Jedi make an attempt to rescue him."

"Yes, my Master," Dooku says, nodding.

"I will relay our plans further once you meet me in person, Dooku," Sidious, or Palpatine, says, and the hologram ends. The Senators once again discuss, and yell out opinions, and Orn says, very loudly, "Just because you happened to be correct doesn't mean that your actions were just, Jedi! You should have looked into it further, and looked at this first! What if you were wrong!"

Mace puts up his hand for silence. "You time for speech has ended, Senator. The Jedi are here to help the halacy, and protect the Republic, and I can promise that if we have the power of Chancellor, nothing can defeat the Republic.

A Jedi Chancellor would never do what Sidious did, and it is time that we take power again! We will protect this galaxy, and I can promise just as much as Senator Taa that I will bring justice to the CIS. We will kill all of them, and the wrath, justice, and power of the Republic will return to this galaxy. I want justice just as much as you do Senator Taa, in terms of the Separatists, but I will also give the Jedi what they deserve! Power! The Jedi will have the power to keep justice forever!"

The Senators give plenty of applause, and it seems like it is more than what was given to Taa. This seems to be looking good, especially after he revealed his evidence with Sidious. Taa doesn't even have time to counter-argue. "Well said, both of you," Mas says, simply, nodding.

"Now, it is time for the vote. Senators, you may cast your votes now!"

On pods throughout the chambers, the screens show two options in the vote. Mace Windu or Orn Free Taa. As Mace continues to give out an aura of kindness and justice, he sits down in meditation, waiting. Orn does the same, now completely powerless.

Now, nobody can see how the vote is doing, it is completely computerized, and it will tell Mas who the new Chancellor is, as soon as every Senator has voted. Not even Mace can sense how he is doing. He searches the Force for visions, of how the vote will end up, but he can see nothing. The Force seems to be a bit stubborn currently.

Council Chambers

Status: Concerned

The Council chambers are quite full. With the war's end, it seems as though there is suddenly nothing to do. The remains of the CIS are centered on Raxus, with all their organic soldiers and traitorous Senators simply waiting for the Republic to make a move. Of course, the Republic cannot attack, it can only sit there, since the clones have no Chancellor.

Only Mace is gone, as he seems to be at the Senate, from the information that Yoda was able to gather. Mace was not supposed to be at the meeting anyway, so his being at the Senate is simply an added bonus. But, Qui-Gon, his apprentice, Obi-Wan, and his apprentice, Anakin, are there, not having left Coruscant since the returned to rescue Palpatine. Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, Coleman Kcaj, and Luminara Unduli have also stayed on Coruscant. Ki-Adi-Mundi has returned from Mygeeto, Stass Allie has returned from Saleucami, and Kit Fisto has returned from Utapau, CIS Council in tow.

"Masters Mundi, Allie, and Fisto, anything to report from your missions, have you?" he asks.

Mundi, not leaving his seat, says, "Once the droids shut down, Mygeeto was easily secured."

Allie, also staying seated, says, "My cleanup on Saleucami went without a hitch, and once the droids shutdown, it was that much easier."

Finally, Fisto, actually going to the center to deliver his report, says, "All resistance on Utapau was defeated, and the only person known to escape the battle was mercenary Cad Bane. We have no knowledge where he escaped to. The Council was captured, I shut down the droids, committed the reactivation codes to memory, and left with the Council, taking them to the Republic prison."

The Council nods, satisfied, and Fisto sits down. Onto more current business. Sighing, he says, "Grave news, I have."

The Council give shocked looks. They don't know of anything that would be causing a problem now, unless he announcing that Orn got elected. Before they ask, he says, "Being tempted by the Dark Side, Master Windu is. Fear for him, I do."

The Council looks even more shocked. Clearly, they didn't think that things with him were this bad. "Forced him to quit Vaapad, I did, and talked to him, I did, but failed, I have. Determined to find greater power, he is, and enthralled by the Dark Side, he has become."

"How do we stop his fall, and bring him back, then?" Plo Koon asks, unsure of what to do.

"I really don't know," Obi-Wan says, shaking his head.

"Perhaps we play it defensively, and just focus on making sure he doesn't go any further for now, rather than bringing him back right away," Anakin suggests.

"Perhaps we should check on matters of the Senate," Obi-Wan says.

"Yes, the election is occurring right now, and we should see how Bail is doing," Stass says.

Yoda nods, and with the press of a button, the blue glow of the holonet fills the room. They all look with complete and utter shock as Mas Amedda proclaims Mace Windu as Chancellor.

Senate Chambers, Chancellor's pod

Status: Elated

Mace Windu is overjoyed. He is finally Chancellor. Things can finally be the way that they should be. He has power. He can begin some reforms later, like giving the Jedi more power, but first, he needs to deal with current things, such as the remains of Palpatine's power. "Mas Amedda," he says, looking to the man who just proclaimed him Chancellor, "Did you have any knowledge whatsoever about Palpatine's true nature, and his intentions? How much did you know?"

Amedda gives a shocked look, and realizes that he is doomed. There is simply no way out. "I... I knew nothing! Sith Lords are very paranoid about such things, and he would never tell anyone that he didn't..." Mace can sense the deceit.

"LIAR! I can sense the deceit in you, Mas Amedda. You knew what he planned. And that is treason, Senator!"

The Senators yell many things, but most say that he should have the death penalty. They clearly want to win favor of their new Chancellor. Certainly, the Senate is corrupt, but right now, he still needs it. Maybe later, he can deal with it. Not now, though.

"The penalty for this, treason on the highest level, is death." Amedda nods, and closes his eyes, accepting his inevitable fate. Mace takes out his lightsaber, activates it, with its purple hue lighting the Chagrian's scared features, and stabs the man through the heart. He crumples to the ground, dead.

Now, for Sly Moore. "And Sly Moore. Wait? Sly?" He turns, still not seeing the traitorous Senator in league with Palpatine. Suddenly, the power of the Force come at him from the side, Sly somehow unleashing a Force Push. Still, she is nowhere near as strong as he is, and his Force shield defends against her power easily.

He turns, casually, toward the Umbaran, who simply cannot do anything to him, despite her Force powers. She looks at him with wide eyes, realizing that she was no more than a pawn in Sidious's game. How pathetic. He clutches her neck with the Force, and she cannot stop him as he slowly strangles her.

"Please, no!" she manages to say, despite the fact that she is being choked. Still, perhaps, she could be turned to accept the Jedi, and be used for something. No, she is too weak. "Those who beg for mercy are too weak to deserve it," he says, and he closes his fingers together to make a fist. With a painful crack, her neck is crushed, and she is no more.


	20. Chapter 20

Council Chambers

Status: Shocked

After watching the live feed that the holonet continues to show, the Council is left speechless. Not only is Mace now Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, but he has already killed two people, and it seems to be based off of mere speculation.

For about twenty seconds, they are silent, simply staring, not knowing what to say. Finally, Qui-Gon says, "Master Windu has fallen to the Dark Side."

"I think that you might be acting a bit too hasty, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan says, rubbing his beard.

Yoda traces the wrinkles of his cranium, and finally says, "Cloud everything, the Dark Side of the Force does. His heart, difficult to see into, it is."

"Did he do any of this with the Council's permission?" Luminara asks, raising an eyebrow.

"No permission, had he," Yoda says, shaking his head sadly.

"I feel that Qui-Gon is right, and that we need to confront him with the full power of the Council," Anakin says, clearly considering his own brush with the Dark Side.

"But how? What do we do, come in, lightsabers activated, and order him to step down? The Senate sure didn't like it when we did it to Chancellor Palpatine," Plo Koon says.

"Perhaps we do, but as more a bluff than anything," Shaak suggests.

"We could negotiate with him," Obi-Wan suggests, living up to his nickname.

"Or bring in the full Council to talk with him," Ki-Adi-Mundi suggests, rubbing his beard as he thinks.

This is a difficult issue, and one that is very confusing, and hard to decide on. There seems to be no what that is ideal. Why does this have to be so hard? "Perhaps we threaten to take him off the Council," Kit suggests.

"That would only aggravate him," comments Coleman Kcaj.

"The only solution that wouldn't aggravate him is to leave it alone, and I don't think that anyone advises that?" Stass Allie says, clearly just as unsure as everyone else on the issue.

"Then we might as well decide not to hold anything back," Anakin suggests, earning a disapproving glare from his former master.

"Perhaps, send him in, we will, and with guidance from the Force, improvise, we will," he finally says.

Nobody voices any objections, so he picks up his comlink, and prepare to contact Mace Windu, Chancellor of the Republic.

"Master Yoda," Mace says, eying the Jedi Master.

"Master Windu," he says, considering his what to say.

"I have good news," Mace says, cutting off Yoda before he can begin, "Orn has lost the election, because I entered it, too. I, and by extension of that, the Jedi Order, am in control of the Republic. I am now Supreme Chancellor."

Yoda nods. He knows all this. "Yes. Saw the holonet, we did, and approve, we do not."

Mace rolls his eyes. "Fine. I have much more to say, though, and I am sure that you, and the rest of the Council do, as well."

"Meet us in the Council chambers, you will," he says, trying not to allow Mace any room to argue. If they want to go head to head in a battle of will, home turf would be good to have.

However, Mace isn't easily intimidated. "Sorry, no. I have plenty of flimsiwork to fill out, and I don't think that I have time to leave my office. Perhaps you can bring the Council here?" he asks.

Yoda looks to the rest of the Council. None offer any disagreement. "Agree, I do."

"With you, may the Force be, Master Windu," he finally says, and Windu nods.

"Yes, may the Force be with you Master Yoda. All of it." The hologram flickers out, leaving the Jedi to discuss how they will confront him.

"What did he mean by 'All of it?'" Kit asks, before anyone can say anything else.

"Many of those who fall to the Dark Side believe that the Dark is simply another facet of the Force, that must be explored just as much," Obi-Wan says, answering the Nautolan's question.

"Onto other matters, we must move. How to confront Master Windu, figure out a plan, we must," Yoda says, knowing that they will need to be ready if things turn sour. Mace will no doubt have clones ready if they do, so having the full power of the Council will be a must.

"I think we should send the full Council into his office, to show that we have full support," Stass says.

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "It's a good idea, but it is not without drawbacks. It works great for if things stay civil, but what if they don't?"

"Perhaps I should take a speeder, and wait near his window," Anakin suggests. "If he jumps out, I could be ready to stop him, or to give you a getaway vehicle if clones overpower you." The Council nods at this. It definitely seems logical.

"Perhaps I could be there as well," Shaak Ti adds.

"Yes, a good idea, that is," Yoda says, "Against the both of you, able to escape, he would not be."

"Perhaps I could stay behind at the Temple, and lead a fight or evacuation if Windu sends clones to march on the Temple," Plo Koon adds. Everyone seems to agree with this, as well.

"I can watch for any clones that Mace sends, and try to buy time if they attack, or at least warn you," Luminara says, clearly knowing that should things get violent, she would die, and they could do little about it.

"I will help her," Ki-Adi Mundi says. "Just one Jedi might not be enough." Again, mostly everyone shows approval.

"Very well, time to go, it is." The Council stands up, all at the same time. For the first time in who knows how long, the full Council is going on a critical mission together. The full Council, all except for the one that they are going to confront.

Chancellor's office, Senate Chambers

Status: Worried

Mace sighs. What a chaotic day. To think that they found out about Palpatine being a Sith just this morning. So many things have changed since then. But, now that he has saved the galaxy, the Council is after him. As if he didn't have enough stress already.

He stopped the Republic from declaring war on the Jedi, now he has to stop the Jedi from declaring war on the Republic. He rests his forehead in the palm of his hand for a second, as he takes a break from all the flimsiwork. It isn't as bad as he told Yoda, but to go against the Council in their chamber would be hopeless. At his office, at least he can have a bit more control.

Still, if the Council wants hostility, then they will probably bring plenty of Jedi. If they don't they will still have backup as a last resort. So, he will need to be prepared. He activates his comlink, and contacts the Commander of the "Home Defense" platoon.

"Commander Brush, I have an urgent assignment," he says, as a small holographic version of the trooper appears. Fang is somewhat notorious as an artist as well as commander, painting many things on his armor, using the blood-red colors of his battalion, but the color isn't shown in the all blue of the hologram.

The trooper salutes, and says, "Me, Commander Jintar, and the rest of the battalion are ready for whatever you need." Mace frowns. Jintar is a Jedi padawan assigned to work with the battalion, and his desire to understand military tactics caused Yoda to reluctantly place him in the battalion, with them training him as his "master." The clones who guard Coruscant rarely see action, so they had more time to do things like study tactics, and it seemed like a good fit.

Jintar is a Jedi that Mace can, in many ways, understand, and they get along well, but he might choose loyalty to the Council, over Mace, and that could interfere with things. "Inform General Jintar that no Jedi will be involved in this, as per direct request from the Chancellor," he says.

"Yes, sir," Brush says, and Mace can admire the fact the he has the discipline not to ask why. After pausing to make sure that Brush has had time to make sure Jintar is gone, he says, "Commander, some of the Jedi are disagreeing with my recent action, and I fear that they may betray the Republic. They are coming to discuss some things with me now, and I want backup ready if things go hostile.

Place a company in gunships, ready to launch in come into my office, should I give the signal, but keep a distance, so they don't know about it. I don't want to intimidate them. Place the other three companies ready to enter the Senate. Once the Jedi are in my office, I will signal them to all get as close as they can to the doors. With nearly 450 troops ready to come in, should I give the signal, I don't think that the Jedi will fare terribly well should they choose hostility."

"Sir, yes sir!" Brush says, and Mace ends the communication. Next, he contacts Commander Cody of the 212th Attack Battalion.

As soon as Cody appears, he says, "Commander Cody. I want your men ready to take over the Jedi Temple. The Jedi are started to go against me, and if things go bad, I want you to be ready, as a bargaining chip. But, don't be too obvious. I don't want them panicking or anything. Just be on alert for my signal. And also, obviously, don't inform General Kenobi."

Cody nods. "Yes, sir, commander. We will be ready."

"Good. Remember, subtlety. If they aren't violent, then they will not even know of this conversation."

Cody nods, and he ends the communication. Then, he sends for all of his Royal Guards to come in. There are ten in total, and unlike the clones, they under his, and only his, direct control. They have unquestioning loyalty, and impressive martial prowess that may be able to help out against the Jedi. It never hurts to be ready.

Jedi Temple speeder lot

Status: Worried

Anakin sighs. Master Windu is suddenly getting all power crazy, and this time, it seems a lot worse than when he was falling to the Dark Side. The worst thing is that although it seems inevitable, a pre-emptive strike would absolutely destroy public opinion on them, so they simply have to wait.

This could end very badly, and even the better outcomes seem to be more neutral than anything. If the Jedi go to war with the Republic, they don't have much of a chance. It will be more of a massacre than a civil war.

He looks to the speeders. This is a time to get something good, the best that the temple offers. He will need some weapons for combat, speed for chase, and plenty of seating for picking up the Jedi should they need a lift. However, he knows the lot well, and he has already thought of a few speeders that might work.

He sees Shaak looking through the rows, and clearly not finding anything. "C'mon Shaak, I can show you some speeders that will suit us. Follow me," he suggests, and she follows him, accepting his greater knowledge of speeders.

They quickly find two that will work, and head off behind the rest of the Jedi, who easily found a nice speeder bus. Still, their vehicles are faster, so they can no doubt get there first. Waiting has never been his thing, but for only a few minutes, and with this much at stake, it shouldn't be a problem, so he decides to hit the speed, so he has time to find an ideal position.

We are about halfway through! Thank you everyone reading this, especially people who have favorited, followed, or reviewed! You have encouraged me to keep on writing this fic, and I am so grateful. Also, there are a few things that I might start doing, and I would like feedback on them: (Tell me in reviews)

Musical Inspirations: Me suggesting a soundtrack to go with certain parts of the story. (All of the songs will be Star Wars soundtracks) For example: "From "Commander Brush, I have an urgent assignment," to "It never hurts to be ready," listen to "Imperial March"

Chapter previews: Me giving a one or two sentence description, of the next chapter (avoiding spoilers). For example, "In chapter 21: Mace and the Council finally confront eachother, but will things get violent? What kind of agreement will they come to, or who will strike first, if it comes to it?"

Other story: Me starting another story that I will do in addition to , know that it will be shorter (40,000-60,000 words), and fit within existing canon. I will not tell what it will be about yet, although I have narrowed it down to a few ideas.


	21. Chapter 21

As of now, I have no feedback on my ideas from last chapter, so until I get some, I won't act. Expect a decision once I get four or more reviews with feedback, except for the "other story" idea. If you want that, I have a poll for it that can be found in my profile.

Chancellor's Office, Senate building

Status: Worried

Mace stares at the ten Royal Guards who stand ready. Two are at the door, two are behind him, by the window, and the other six stand on the sides of the room, three on each the Jedi come in, he has clones ready to wait at the door, clones ready to come blasting in the window on gunships, and, shivering at the thought, clones ready to march on the Jedi temple.

The last time hostilities were in here is very recent, indeed, as he fought Palpatine in this same room, just this morning.

Of course, not to long ago, Grievous fought off clones in this office, as he attempted to kidnap Palpatine. Hopefully, for the first time, the Chancellor of the Republic will be on top during any combat. As powerful as he is, going against the entire Jedi Council would not be easy.

Yoda alone would provide a close match, and throw in who knows how many other Jedi, and things would not be good. Thankfully, though, hostilities might not be necessary, and even if they do occur, he has clones as backup. Still, testing those odds is not something that he would want to do lightly.

If only they would just accept his view. The Dark Side is stronger, why don't they see it? They need to embrace a larger view of the Force, so, as such, he will need to reform the Order. If Yoda won't accept it, then he will need to lose power. Once he takes control, through whatever reason, then he can reform how he wants.

The trick, of course, is getting in control. It seems like Yoda is simply too far gone to accept his ways. This meeting should be a time that he can see how Yoda feels about it. This is Yoda's last chance to accept, and maintain control.

He isn't sure how to take over the Order, but he will no doubt succeed once he has a plan. He pursues greater power, and he will no doubt get it. Why is Yoda so arrogant? Wait a minute. Perhaps that arrogance could play to his advantage. With this thought, a plan creeps into the mind of Mace Windu.

Galactic Senate, Landing platform

Status: Worried

Obi-Wan steps off the speeder, hoping to leave all his fear behind on it. He doesn't get his wish. Concern seems to come from every one of the Jedi, and he can sense it in their Force auras. Even Yoda is giving of a hint of it. Certainly, the calming auras from the rest of the Council can generally calm any Jedi, but now, when all anyone lets off is fear, it creates a loop of continuously growing concern.

There are six of them, though Luminara and Ki-Adi-Mundi will not be going inside with them, instead staying outside, and patrolling for clones. Anakin and Shaak have their speeders ready, near Mace's window, so that they can be a getaway vehicle or last line of defense, as needed. Plo is staying at the temple, and Mace can hardly be considered part of the Council, so they number only half of their normal amount

As Luminara and Ki-Adi start to trail off behind, he wonders if that helped or hurt his growing level of concern. He can no longer feel their concern, but now their numbers are reduced to six. Every little dent is what brings down strength in numbers. Four clones await them as they get closer toward his office, and though they raise their blasters, they simply lead them towards his office.

Luminara and Ki-Adi stay behind, in the shadows, watching, and the whole operation gives him the creeps. Every little thing. The silence, the intense preparation in case of hostility, the secrets, and even the fact that the clones have their blasters raised. Suddenly, one of the clones stops, and says, "Chancellor Windu requests that you leave your weapons with us. They will be returned to you once you exit his office."

Nobody says anything. Without their lightsabers, any hostility that they attempt would not end well. Before, they might have been able to kill Windu and escape before significant forces could be used against them, but without lightsabers, they would have no chance at taking out or kidnapping Windu before reinforcements arrive. Still, what choice do they have?

If they say no, then they might not even be allowed to meet with Windu, and that might ruin all hope. So, they simply have no choice, as Yoda says, "Give up our sabers, we will." The clone nods, and they make sure to take a lightsaber from every single Council member, except for Qui-Gon. Once they are all disarmed, they walk into Mace's office, ready to meet this new Sith Lord.

Chancellor's Office, Senate Building

Status: Tense

Mace watches as the Jedi enters his office. It was definitely a good move taking away the lightsabers of the Council members. Now, he has the bargaining power. Now, they will not fight, for they would have chance. They cannot simply stand by and do nothing, as their arrogant ways force them to consider him an evil that must be stopped. Their only other option, then, is to negotiate. But, since they cannot back away from the deal, they will have to submit to his terms. And, he has some terms that should work out well.

Of course, they could simply wait, and strike once they have their lightsabers, so he will have to make sure that the offer his fairly reasonable. Another benefit of his plan. It much surprises him, though, who has entered. Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon are present, of course, but only three others are. Interesting. Coleman Kcaj, Kit Fisto, and Stass Allie are with them, meaning that Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, Anakin Skywalker, Luminara Unduli, and Ki-Adi-Mundi are elsewhere.

"Master Windu, here to discuss your recent actions, we are," Yoda says, looking to the taller Jedi with a grim face. He narrows his eyes slightly but decides to say nothing. Yoda climbs up onto a chair so that he can see Windu, since the tall desk almost completely hides the person sitting behind it, from the his perspective, which has eyes at about a third meter off the ground.

The rest of the Jedi who are present decide to stand, nobody wanting to take the last chair. After a rather long pause, Yoda finally continues, "Most disturbed by your actions in the Senate, the Council is."

Mace decides that he needs to respond to this, but as to how, he isn't sure. He finally decides on a completely honest approach, and says, "My actions were justified. I had good reason for everything that I did."

"So you are saying that Mas Amedda and Sly Moore deserved to die?" Obi-Wan says, cocking an eyebrow.

Mace sighs. Obi-Wan is not easy to beat when it comes to verbal sparring. "Perhaps, perhaps not. I feel that a better way of saying it is that they needed to die. They were a threat to both the Republic and the Jedi, especially after finding out that Sly can use the Dark Side. If they accepted Sidious and his plot, then why wouldn't they do it themselves?" he asks.

His explanation seems to do little in terms of convincing the Jedi. "Through courts, act, we need to, or just a murder, it is," Yoda says.

"Like when we put Nute Gunray in the courts after the Naboo crisis? The courts are corrupt, and they can succumb to bribes. I felt that they were too dangerous to send to the courts, so I acted with force. Mercy can sometimes be a weakness, and I did not let it plague me when dealing with them," he says, knowing that the Jedi are not going to be convinced. All of the Council is too far gone, except for maybe Skywalker.

"Falling to the Dark Side, you are, Mace. Your quest for power in the Senate, and murder of Sly and Mas, show it, it does. Search your feelings! Stronger, the Dark Side, is not."

Mace frowns, unscathed. Still, it is time for his secret weapon. "That remains to be seen. Master Yoda, let me prove it to you. We will battle one on one in a duel, to see which is stronger. We can use lightsabers, the Force, everything. If I win, then it proves that the Dark Side is stronger. I will stay Chancellor, and gain control of the Jedi Order, as well. If you win, then it proves that the Light Side is stronger, and I will step down as Chancellor, and accept the Light to be superior."

Yoda nods at the deal, and says, "Unsure on this, I am, Master Windu. The way things are settled in the Order, this is not, but perhaps, help you the duel will, to see the Light. Return to the Council Chambers, we will, and comm you with our decision, we will." Everyone else nods, and the Council leaves his office. Mace know that they will accept. They have no choice. He could bomb the Jedi Temple from afar, send clones to march on it, or blockade it with troops, and they are simply outmatched, should it come to combat.

They wouldn't stand by, they are too arrogant, so they simply have to agree. To them, it is their only chance at stopping him. To bad they don't understand that all he wants to do is make them more powerful.

Council Chambers

Status: Unsure

Kit Fisto sighs. What has become of this Order, using one on one battles to fight for control? They sound like the Sith, and if they accept Windu's offer, they have a chance at becoming the Sith. The thought causes shivers to come through his entire body. What if they accept, and lost?

The Jedi, being Sith? It is more than an oxymoron, it is his worst nightmare. He has a new greatest fear, and it is turning all too realistic. He is glad that not all of the Council was at the meeting, as Yoda had to spend time explaining Mace's deal to the rest of them. It gives him to think. Still, it is short lived. Soon, they are onto the current business. "Fight this battle, I do not want to. How the Order operates, this is not," Yoda says, earning a nod from most of the Council.

"I think that as bad as it is, it is still a good opportunity," Anakin says. Fisto does have to admit that Anakin is right. If they accept, and win, it would be the best way to save Windu from the Dark Side.

"But what if we lose?" Ki-Adi-Mundi says, voicing the obvious problem in Anakin's logic. For all the reward, the risk is high.

"Lose, we will not," Yoda says. "Stronger, the Light is, and prevail, it will."

"True, Master Yoda, true," Obi-Wan says.

"The ends justify the means," Anakin says, nodding at his former Master's comment.

"Isn't that the motto of 'Sith Philosophy 101?'" Stass asks, jokingly, and almost all the Council bursts out laughing, except for Anakin, who simply has his cheeks redden slightly.

"Time to vote, it is," Yoda says.

"May the Force guide us in our decision," Qui-Gon says, and then adds, "Who is in favor of accepting Mace's offer?"

"I." Anakin says it, and nobody is surprised. The whole situation is his middle name, with high risks, and morally questionable methods to achieve great results.

"I." Coleman Kcaj, this time. He is a quiet fellow, and Fisto knows little about the rather silent Jedi, so his thought process is ambiguous.

"I." Qui-Gon. The Jedi, from what Fisto heard, was known for going against the Council, and a as somewhat of a rogue, never made it onto the Council, at least in life. Whatever line of thought Qui-Gon took, it was probably unique, but it definitely lead to him voting for accepting the bet.

"I." Plo Koon. Plo is a wise Jedi, and, from what Fisto knows of him, would believe that the bet has low risk, since light is stronger, so its easy, but valuable reward is worth the questionable methods.

"I." Yoda. Yoda would likely take a similar line of thought by comparison to Plo, knowing the Light to be stronger, so deciding that to deny the bet would show a lack of faith in the Light, and he wouldn't do that.

Now, it simply needs one more vote, and Fisto considers giving it. It has a terrifying risk, but a great reward, and since the chance of winning should be way higher than that of losing, it would be worth it. That is, if it weren't for the morally questionable methods. Still, it could save the Republic from Windu, and as such, countless lives could be spared from what will no doubt become a harsh dictatorship, if they don't try to stop it. "I," he says, praying that his vote, the vote that secured the acceptance of the bet, will be the right one.

He may have done a great deal of good, or he may have done a major evil. Only time will tell, and that time will be very soon. "Settled, it is," Yoda says, and he comms Windu to announce the Council's acceptance.


	22. Chapter 22

Here it is! The not-so-final, but still very important, duel between Light and Dark will be in this chapter. Palpatine foresaw it in chapter nine, and it is finally going to come.

Chancellor Windu's office, Senate Building

Status: Confident

Mace smiles as he sees Yoda's hologram. He can sense what the elderly Jedi Master is going to say, and can feel that it is going to be acceptance. "Chancellor Windu," Yoda begins, and Mace can sense that the words are leaving a bad taste in Yoda's mouth, and are almost being used as an insult.

"Accepted your deal, we have," Yoda says, and Windu nods. He has already won, now, they just don't know it yet. The Dark Side is more powerful, and the quest for power will leave him with more power. "When do you wish to have our battle?" he asks, hoping that it will be soon. The sooner he can deal with Yoda, the better.

"At sunset, do you wish to duel?" Yoda asks, and Mace smiles. Six hours, or so, is not long at all. To think that he will be in control in six hours is absolutely glorious, nothing less. He will have control of the Jedi and control of the Republic. The galaxy will be his.

"It sounds good. Would you like to use the main entrance to the temple, on the steps, beneath the statues of the Four Masters, with them looking down upon us?" he offers, considering how beautiful a sight it will be. In his triumph, in the moment where his reforms can have finally have an opportunity at reality, the Four Masters, who founded the Jedi Temple, will see, and watch as a new source of power comes to the Order.

"Agree, I do," Yoda says, and the hologram flickers out, leaving Mace alone with his flimsiwork, and his guards. He decides he can leave his work, as he will need to make sure that he is in top condition for the duel, and he has an idea for something that may give him a slight edge. Turning to the leader of his Red Guards, he says, "Captain, would you mind helping me with saber practice?"

"It would be an honor, sir," the guard says, taking out his force pike. Though the pike does not relate to the Force, it is still lightsaber resistant, and would work for dueling purposes. "Perhaps you could teach me the basics of Echani swordplay, as well," he adds, and the guard nods.

"Your technique would be rather limited, since a lightsaber has no weight in the blade. Not all of the moves would work to their highest level, or be very efficient, and in addition, we can only accomplish so much with one afternoon."

Mace nods at this, it would make since. "I simply want to use a few Echani moves that could be a supplement to my Vaapad. Since I will have so little time to train, the only real advantage they will have is surprise."

"Well, I think that many attacks out of the Dasun Raa stance could work with your weapon, but I would need to see your current technique first if I want to truly give you help on supplementing it."

"Very well. Captain, meet Vaapad. Now, if you want to last long enough to see anything, I would recommend sending all ten of your men to fight me. I will set my weapon to training mode, so all you will get is a minor burn, and since you have heavy armor under your robes, you will be fine."

"Thank you, sir." All of the Guards enter an attack stance, while Mace activates his lightsaber, and prepares to spring, as all of the Red Guards start to slowly approach him, using quick, jerky steps to constantly stay in a good stance. Still, while one is mid step, he takes advantage of a half-second of weakness to spring on him.

With this, complete chaos breaks loose, and the duel is on.

15 minutes later

Jedi Temple Sparring Arena

Status: Stressed

Yoda walks into the sparring arena, grateful that Anakin has agreed to duel with him. Very few duelists would compare to what he expects Mace to be. He wants to ready himself with practicing single combat, but he Anakin is perhaps the only Jedi that is powerful enough to provide a challenge one on one.

He is not exactly like Windu, but he is close enough. He is very powerful, and has an aggressive style. Anakin sometimes dabbles a bit too far with passion, but then again, Mace does a whole lot more than dabble. They both walk in side by side, and everyone gives them a wide berth. Already, knowledge of what has happened recently, including the deal with Mace, has slipped down through the ranks of the Order, and at least half of the Jedi know about it.

They decide to duel in the open part that is in the middle, since it is most similar to where he will duel Mace. The stress of the duel is getting to them, and it seems like the whole Council is on edge. Not even he is able to avoid it. The concern and the worry act as a great burden to him, and he can't help but get the feeling that he is relying on his cane more than usual.

He is a weak, frail, Jedi, but through the Force, he can become very acrobatic and nimble. Of course, using the Force for such minor things as walking, or even using the Force for anything that doesn't require it, he considers excessive, and like showing off.

He discards his cane, and activates his lightsaber, and Anakin does the same. Most of the Jedi in the arena stop their duels, since Yoda's skill with a saber is legendary, and very few have seen a live demonstration, and he is somewhat of a legend in terms of ability. Recently, he has done little with combat, spending his time meditating, or discussing things with the Council. Even when he does practice combat, he often does it solo, practicing his moves alone.

So, as he duels Anakin, most of the Jedi have their jaws drop in utter amazement. He is considered to be a complete and true master of Ataru, and his form is considered to be the peak of it. Still, Anakin is likely the best living user of Djem So, and he is a formidable opponent, indeed.

He is considered to be an equal to Obi-Wan, as when they fight, they are evenly matched, but that is not true. Simply put, they know eachother very well, and both take advantage of it. However, Obi-Wan is a much smarter duelist, so he can take advantage of that knowledge to an extreme level, and somehow manage to equal The Hero with No Fear.

In this duel, however, neither duelist is very much aware of how the other fights, so neither of their tactical abilities can affect the fight very much. It is a duel of instinct, and years of training, as well as the power of the Force. Both engross themselves heavily in it, effectively doing a moving meditation. Their movements are guided by the Force, and it is truly a sight to behold.

It doesn't take long before Yoda emerges victorious, but still, very few people could say that they could last more than a minute against Yoda, and Anakin has done very, very, well, especially considering his youth, and relative lack of training, against Yoda's 900 years of training. Their audience cheers, and Anakin says, "Let's go again!"

2.5 hours later

Mace's office, Senate Building

Status: Combative practice

Mace continues his relentless training of the Echani moves, working on combining them into his standard Vaapad attacks. He is actually about equal to all ten of his guards, when they fight, though that excludes the Force. Now, they have finished their fighting, and are simply helping him work on his Vaapad/Echani.

The Echani is foreign to him, and is a clear weakness in his style, but Yoda simply knows his Vaapad too well. However, his arrogance would make him weak against Echani. He works on the Echani attacks and parries, trying to work them into his style, as he uses them against a group of three guards at a time. He instructed the guards to counter-attack, so that he will have to learn to work against that factor.

They have their weapons set to an "off" setting, rather than the default "stun" setting, that could leave him with a bad burn wound. His attacks are not very effective, but they will provide a great last resort, or an optional thing to keep in his back pocket if Yoda were to assume he would only use Vaapad, and inadvertently give him a weakness that Echani can exploit.

After a while, though, he decides that it is best to rest, and enter a state of meditation, to gather up his hatred, and ready his mind for the battle, while also resting his body, so that it is also ready for the battle.

Slowly, he builds up his hate, thinking about everything that Yoda has done, everywhere the Jedi have failed do to their weak ways, all of the injustice that the Dark Side could stop... And holds in the hate. He is like a volatile bubble, ready to explode in his anger, passion, and hate. He thinks solely on Yoda, gathering up his energy, focusing his power. Then, he senses Yoda, also entering meditation.

"Yoda." He whispers the name in the Force, full of hate, as he thinks of what the weak old Jedi has done to their Order.

The Jedi hears him. "Windu," he whispers back, in the Force. It has no passion, only serenity. It is full of calm determination.

"Your weak ways will be defeated, and the truth about them will be shown, this evening," he says to Yoda, still communicating through the Force.

"Your ways are evil, and they are not more powerful," Yoda responds back, and he can almost imagine the old Jedi pointing his gimmer stick at him.

They both resume silence, both feeling eachother's presence in the back of their minds. Yoda continues his attempt towards complete serenity, trying to drive out fear or passion. Mace continues his attempt toward complete hate and power, driving out things like mercy, and peace.

1 hour later

Jedi Temple, Main Entrance

Status: Very Tense

The time is 20:17, sunset. Two parties approach the stairs. Out the entrance of the Temple, the Jedi exit their temple. They include several Jedi Sentinels, Yoda, the entire Jedi Council, minus Mace Windu, and many Jedi Knights. Of course, only so many people can fit outside, so only a fraction of the Jdi are there. Most of them instead go to the windows, and attempt to look down on the battle, faces pressed against the glass.

Several gunships land next to the bottom part of the stairs, their clones getting out, ready to stand guard. Mace gets out of the middle gunship, purple lightsaber activated, and eyes deepened with yellow. He is almost ready to release all of his hate, and he is at a point where he can hardly control it. Yoda, too, activates his green lightsaber, and the two warriors approach eachother. They rotate around 90 degrees, so that neither possesses high ground, and they enter a ready stance.

"Arrrrrrrrgh!" Mace yells, an earsplitting cry of nothing but pure hate and anger. In just a blink of an eye, he swings a powerful strike down at Yoda. Yoda is simply too small to block it, although it take something the size of a rancor to stop him and his fury.

Yoda instead dodges, sidestepping the attack. Mace comes in again, and this time Yoda cannot dodge. He blocks it, but its raw strength knocks him to the ground. Mace charges in attempting to end the fight right there, but Yoda is too fast.

He leaps away, jumping off one of the statues, before coming back at Windu. A very angry Windu goes into a cartwheel, trying to kick Yoda, who dodges, and moves to sever Mace's leg. What a fool. His attack leaves his defenses wide open, and Mace swings up, and the strike nearly kills Yoda. However, the experienced Jedi Master parries at the last second.

However, he doesn't have enough leverage to parry. The strike knocks his saber from his hand, and it falls to the ground, and Yoda does, too. Mace goes for a killing blow once again, but Yoda uses the Force to summon his lightsaber to his hand. He blocks the attack, but Mace gets him in a bladelock, and pushes the saber down onto the Jedi Master, lying on the ground.

He rolls out, saving himself, but Mace counterattacks, expecting it, and he barely dodges back in time. Yoda decides that it is time to counterattack, and leaps all around Mace, attacking with his greatest amount of skill, and his best moves...

Sorry for the cliff hanger! I realized that I couldn't fit the entire duel in this chapter, but I wanted to at least get some of it in this chapter. Next chapter will finish it up, and deal with the aftermath of it.


	23. Chapter 23

Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter. I decided to make it up to you by working harder on this chapter so that I can get it out a little earlier than I normally would (I generally try to publish a chapter every 24 hours.)

Yoda's attacks are very well placed, but he has to spend too much focus on staying ready to parry. Mace can attack with great speed, so when Yoda attacks, he cannot commit to it fully, and instead has to hold back in order to be ready to defend. Still, despite this weakness, Yoda is still a great duelist, and his attacks are both precise and quick.

The real weakness is that Mace knows what is in Yoda's arsenal, and the Jedi Master is very predictable. Every single attack is blocked with ease, and after about two minutes, it is clear that Yoda is failing to break his opponent's defenses.

While Mace is seeing every predictable attack ahead of time in the Force, he is simply choosing to parry, and not counter with any offensive of his own.

Yoda, though, is beaten by the weaknesses of Ataru. Even in a one on one lightsaber duel, it still has fatigue, and his focus is starting to break. He simply cannot keep up his mental focus, trying to attack without leaving an opening. His body, too, is wearing down, and his attacks are becoming slower, and even more predictable.

Mace smiles, knowing that he is winning. He could have moved in and struck, but he needs to show the Jedi his superiority. He needs to crush Yoda on all aspects of the battle. Inevitably, Yoda switches tactics, breaking off, and trying to use the Force. Yoda jumps away, and stretches out his hand. The gesture is completely unneeded to use the Force, but most Jedi find that it helps them focus.

Mace, too, stretches out his hand, and they both try to push eachother in the Force, while at the same time trying to keep themselves firmly rooted in place. Then, both of them go flying backwards. Yoda, who stands on top of the stairs, is sent flying upward and back, and he smashes into the second story window of the Temple with astonishing force. Neither the Jedi with Force enhanced bones nor the window with reinforced transparisteel seems to be broken majorly, but Yoda is still a little slow to get up after he hits the ground, and has his fair share pf bruises.

Mace, standing in the middle part of the stairs, is sent down and back, and he flies downward before hitting the permacrete stairway with a loud thud, and rolls down it with incredible speed. Not unlike Yoda, he manages to avoid any major injury, but he is bloodied and bruised, and doesn't get up instantly.

Both stand up at about the same time, but Mace, if anything, seems to be feeding on the pain, and is strengthened by it. As Yoda slowly walks forward to the stairs, Mace leaps up quickly, and when he reaches the peak of jump, about ten meters above Yoda, he stretches out his hand, using pure hatred and instinct, summons, for the first time ever in his life, Force Lightning.

It is not Electric Judgement. It is summoned from pure hate, and has a distinct blue and purple glow. Yoda, not as surprised as some of the other Jedi, reaches his hand upward, to absorb the lightning with tutiminus. He does this successfully, but barely dodges back in time as Mace nearly lands on top of him, lightsaber blazing.

However, Mace lands with such force that it actually cracks the ground that he lands on, and creates a shock wave that causes Yoda to stumble back about a meter. He manages to stay on his feet, but in the time that he recovers, Mace has already drawn on the Force and readied his next attack.

Mace thrusts his hands out at Yoda, but does not push him with the Force, and instead pushes at something behind him. There is a loud crack, and a large shadow starts to fall over Yoda. Instinctively, Yoda leaps to the side, barely saving himself, as a statue of one of the Four Masters, minus the feet, falls on top of where he used to stand.

Mace swings his lightsaber at Yoda, who again leaps back-straight into Mace's trap. Mace stretching out with all of his hatred, grabs another one of the massive statues, 30 meters tall and filled with solid permacrete. He lifts it from the ground with astonishing speed, then swings it with every bit of hatred in him. It knocks the tiny Jedi master out of the air like a fly.

Yoda is sent flying, and he sails about 100 meters before finally hitting the ground again, and then rolling perhaps another ten coming to a stop. Mace uses the Force to sprint towards Yoda in a couple seconds, and the Jedi Master is badly wounded. However, Mace has no interest in finding the specifics, so he simply holds his lightsaber to Yoda's neck and waits.

Once most of the other Jedi have came over, Yoda finally says, between coughed breaths, "Surrender, I do. Failed... I have." The other Jedi simply look on sadly, knowing the significance of what has happened, until one with understanding of the healing arts comes over. He looks over Yoda, feeling in several points, and, after about a minute says, "Masters, it appears that the Force has greatly protected him, and given the skill that we have in healing, he should live. However, it looks like he will have permanent paralysis in his lower body, in addition to several broken bones in his legs and arms. He also has three broken ribs, and a bad concussion."

"Your report is not needed, Knight Athara," Mace says. "As my first act with my new power in the Order, I charge former Grand Master Yoda for sabotaging our Order with his weak, old ways, which, by extension of that, is dulling the sword of the Republic. For this, which is treason on two accounts, I sentence you to death!"

At first, nobody says anything, not even Yoda. There are simply wide eyes, and gaping mouths. Then, Obi-Wan approaches Windu, and, putting on his most honest face, says, "Don't do this, Master Windu. Look at what you have done! The Dark Side, it has corrupted you. You have done all of this to try to protect the Order, and you have destroyed it! The Dark Side has ruined you. Master Windu, you did not use the Dark Side, the Dark Side used you! You were a champion of the Light, until now. Until now... You have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

Mace keeps a blank expression, and stays silent for awhile, but finally says, "Perhaps I should kill you, too, Master Kenobi." That silences him. It then sinks into the Jedi that Windu now controls them. Windu, a Sith, has achieved ultimate power, and they are now his servants. They are servants of a Sith.

Windu uses the Force to lift Yoda off the ground, and the Jedi Master is barely conscious. Then, a yell of "Nooooo!" rings out from several Jedi Knights, and a few of their Padawans. Then, they activate their lightsabers, and start to walk towards Mace. "Kill them," he says, looking at Obi-Wan, as he drops Yoda.

"I can't," Obi-Wan says, shaking his head. None of the Jedi say anything that to say they will obey him. Mace nods, sadly. This is to be expected. "Fine. Clones, kill any Jedi that currently has their lightsaber activated." Most of the Jedi, including the Council, who are neutral in the situation simply stand still, until Obi-Wan says, "Stand down. Now is not the time."

At this, the Jedi obey, and they deactivate their sabers.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," Mace says, again lifting Yoda in the Force. His limp and barely conscious body offers no resistance. As Mace activates his lightsaber, nobody says anything. Even Yoda shows a look of pure serenity, and acceptance. Through the Force, he tells Obi-Wan, "Lead us, you must." Then, in the blink of an eye, Yoda's head is severed from his body.

Jedi Temple, next to the main entrance

Status: Sad

Obi-Wan looks at the scene sadly. Everything he has known seems to be gone. Yoda and Windu, the Jedi, and soon, the Republic, as well. Mace will no doubt make it a dictatorship at some point.

He can't serve the Jedi anymore. It would simply be too difficult. He will never become a Sith willingly. "I quit," he says.

"You have made a commitment to the Jedi Order. It is one not easily broken, and you cannot just leave like that!" Mace says, angry.

"It is you who broke your commitment to the Order. And anyone who continues to serve you and this... Order of Sith has broken their commitment as well," he says, looking at the very angry Mace straight in the eye. He walks down the stairs, so that he is off the temple premise, (since, as a non-Jedi, he cannot be in the Temple.) Then, he turns on his comlink, and sets up the signal so that it broadcasts to all Jedi, even those not at the Temple, except for Mace Windu.

Taking a deep breath, he says, "Hello, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is a message to all members of the Jedi Order. I regret to inform you that Master Windu has turned to the Dark Side. He took over the Senate, became Chancellor, and murdered two people. I am sure that you already know this. Once we realized this, we told him to step down as Chancellor and return to the Light. He simply told us that he would engage Master Yoda in a one on one battle, and he would do as we said if he lost, but if he won, he would have complete control over the Order. Master Yoda, tragically, lost, and Windu murdered him shortly after he surrendered. I can say with absolute certainty, that if you do not leave, he will force you to use the Dark Side, and become a Sith. As such, I suggest that you leave this Order. Once you do, I will create a new Order of Jedi, that use our old ways. If you wish to take part in it, please come the planet of Ilum, at the crystal cave, where I will be helping us build up again.

Thank you very much, Obi-Wan." He smiles, satisfied. Then, the tears that he has held in come out, in full force, and he cries, right there on the doorstep of the Temple he once loved.

2 minutes later

Jedi Temple, next to the main entrance

Status: Sad

Anakin watches as the Jedi announce their decision to abandon the Order. Now, the entire former Council has quit, except for Mace, of course, and himself. Then, they all go back into the Temple, to gather their few belongings, including the credits that they will no doubt need, as well as perhaps make plans with other Jedi, perhaps planning to pool resources in order to get to Ilum. That is what he would do, anyway.

But, he is not sure that he wants to leave. Not after what Mace told him.

2 minutes earlier

Jedi Temple, main entrance

Status: Sad

Anakin, after hearing Obi-Wan's words, considers what to do. Does he really want to be a Sith? But, does he really want to leave the Order? No. He doesn't want to be a Sith. He decided that earlier. Now that Obi-Wan has offered to give him help if he leaves, the decision seems simple. So, he approaches Windu, ready to be the second to leave. "Master Windu, I..."

"Skywalker, I know that you want to leave, but please, listen to what I have to say," Mace says, interrupting him.

Then, Mace, after taking a deep breath, says, "Anakin, I know that you love Padmé. You love her as much as I love the Republic. We both have felt passion. The Jedi deny passion. You heard the Council's decision. They don't accept love because they think it is right, they accept it because they simply have no other choice. The Jedi, without my future reforms, are weak, and I can promise that with my power, it will only help in protecting Padmé, and also, in my case, protecting the Republic. I can teach you to unlock passion, and you will become more powerful than any other Jedi. Maybe even me.

Anakin, I am not a Sith. The Sith use the Dark Side, but they are not the only way to use it. You can use the Dark Side, and gain power, without being evil. Please, Anakin, help me, and together, we can rule the galaxy."

Anakin says nothing. Perhaps Mace is right. Maybe he should stay...

Okay, I am sorry for killing Yoda. But, I had my reasons.

First, Mace needed to win the duel. It was needed to continue the plot, and it also was needed to show the power of the Dark Side.

Second, Mace had to decide on killing Yoda, to show how the Dark Side takes over, and corrupts.

Third, he actually had to kill Yoda (rather than, say, have everyone else force him to not do it) because I wanted him to get a big time kill. This can show that he is serious and he means business. (Also, I don't really like Yoda, since he is so arrogant and sees everything in black and white. Why does he bother to learn all seven Forms of Lightsaber Combat, but only use Ataru?)


	24. Chapter 24

3 hours later

A street on Coruscant, lower levels, Farthe District

Status: Stressed

Obi-Wan Kenobi has had a long day. He helped Mace kill Darth Sidious, though murder was never their intention until Mace's anger got out of hand. Then, he and Anakin worked to convince the Council to allow marriage, or at least forgive Anakin. Then, he watched as Mace took over the Senate, and started down his path toward being a Sith Lord. He also worked with the Council on how to deal with Mace, and later, watched as Mace murdered Yoda and took over the Jedi Order. To top it all off, as the sun set, he created a plan for those who truly followed the Light, to allow them to recreate the Jedi.

What he intends to do with this "Other Jedi Order," he doesn't know, but he knows that it will be on Ilum, follow the Light Side, and probably work against the Sith. Right now, he just has to get to Ilum. He has some supplies from the Temple, since he took all he had when he went to watch the battle with Mace and Yoda. He had a comlink, datapad, aqua-breather, Lightsaber, a couple rations, and about 5,000 credits. He would have had a ship, but his starfighter isn't technically his, so he left it at the Temple.

From the Temple, he went to a supply store, and bought basic survival gear, including a tent, more food, fire paste, jackets, boots, hats, gloves, and his already low credit supply was reduced to about 4,000.

That is definitely not enough to hire a pilot, and no sort of mass-transit bus would go to an uninhabited star system. So, he had no choice. He needed credits, and fast, so he found a local bounty listing. Legally licensed hunters got more for their work, but the police forces on Coruscant were willing to accept any help that they could get, so they offer bounties to anyone, even though they are only given half the usual pay.

So, he started work on tracking down a criminal. The bounty was 15,000, and he figured that 7,500, plus his 4,000, would be enough to get a ride. Of course, 15,000 credits bounties are not easy to come by, so he has no doubt that he will face at least a minor challenge. He keeps his lightsaber in hand, but doesn't activate it, as he casually moves across the balcony, keeping his quarry on the level below him in his peripheral vision.

As of now, it was surprisingly easy, since a quick search got him onto a lead right away. From what he has been able to figure out, he is following Dast Hedri, a Togruta businessman who has no bounty on him, but seems to be in league with Obi-Wan true quarry, Ving Aco.

Ving is known to be a master thief, but he lacks any real combat ability. His real weapon is his sly mind. He is an expert gambler, a savvy negotiator, and a cunning escape artist. A slippery fellow indeed. However, when push comes to shove, he has a capable bodyguard with an unknown name, who has been spotted on multiple occasions.

The bodyguard is Aqualish, and is an expert sniper, as well as a capable fighter with his vibroknives. Obi-Wan isn't sure who he should be more worried about. He decides to focus on Ving, and make sure he doesn't do anything funny, and wait for the Aqualish to make his move.

So, as Dast walks into an abandoned warehouse, he is ready to do just that. He leaps down behind Dast, using the Force to keep himself silent, and waits for Dast to meet with Ving and his bodyguard.

He waits, and once he is sure that Dast will have met Ving, he slowly creeps, in going towards a room where he hears voices. "Nice seeing you here, Dast," once voice says, sounding like the bodyguard.

"The pleasure is mine, just as the profit is mine," he hears one say, likely Dast. Then, he senses that something funny is going on, and going by his instincts, he charges in. Only Dast and the bodyguard are inside. They both give a shocked look, though the bodyguards seems faked. He has been a fool!

"Where is Ving!" he demands, activating his lightsaber. He really just says it to get a chance to pickpocket a small item with Force, and the answer is given away moments later, anyway. Leaving the bodyguard and Dast behind, he immediately runs toward the sound of a speeder engine, and finds a small platform with a speeder bike flying away from it, and another speeder parked on it.

He hops onto the speeder, heading off in pursuit of Ving. Ving is a sly thief with a smart mind, but he clearly has no experience in both flying and combat. As he shoots backwards at Obi-Wan, every shot misses, and his piloting is less than perfect. Overcorrections make him inefficient, and Obi-Wan is gaining quickly. But good things never last. The Force alerts him, to imminent danger, and he barely leaps off in time to avoid the explosion of a thermal detonator on his speeder.

He lands safely, but a smiling Ving quickly rides away. It doesn't take long before the comlink on his belt, more specifically the bodyguard's comlink, buzzes, signalling a communication. Through the comlink, Ving says, "Bodyguard, I have shook the Jedi, but our hideout will likely be compromised. Please rendezvous with me at Chikef's Cantina."

Taking up a voice that best imitates the Aqualish, with the deception strengthened by the Force, he says, "Yes, sir."

5 minutes later

Chikef's Cantina

Status: Stressed

Ving Aco is not having a good day. It is bad enough when a Jedi shows up on your doorstep, but to think that Dast brought the Jedi there... He trusted Dast. Certainly, Dast could have been followed, and was too stupid to notice, but he decided to assume the worst, and not contact someone potentially in league with the Jedi.

So, he simply decided to rendezvous with Bodyguard, and make his further plans from there. The frown on his face only worsens as he spots the Jedi sitting at the bar. The Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a.k.a. "The Negotiator," stares right at him, and, giving the calmest look, says, "Hello there, Ving. Can you thank Bodyguard on my behalf for the comlink?"

He snarls, and pulls out a thermal detonator. "You move, we all die."

"Oh really," Obi-Wan says, raising an eyebrow, and suddenly, the thermal detonator is floating a meter in front of him. Trying to hide the shocked look on his face, he dives for the detonator, only to have it be pulled away again. He falls to the ground, landing flat on his face.

Obi-Wan chuckles as he puts the detonator in his backpack. "C'mon Ving, let's go. I have a bounty to collect, and you have a prison to visit."

The next day, mid-afternoon

Jedi Temple, primary meeting area

Status: Disappointed

Mace Windu is disappointed, to say the least. After everything he has done, all his displays of power, saving the Jedi Order twice, and even defeating Master Yoda, almost everyone has left. It is tragic, to say the least. It seems that nearly everyone was corrupted with the lies of their old ways. His current Order is skimpy, to say the least.

90% of Younglings under the age of four years, or the equivalent for aliens, have stayed. This is no surprise. Those under the age of four have minds that are fresh, and mainly uncorrupted by old Jedi ideals.

For Younglings above four, he only has 15% of the original numbers. Some of them were capable of understanding the quest for greater power, though most were already taken into the fold of lies.

With padawans, things become truly embarrassing. Most padawans followed their masters, and of the 750 padawans he originally had, only 20 stayed. One of these did include padawan Daljak, which makes him smile with joy. He will no doubt enjoy Vaapad. All others were corrupted, especially by their masters, who had almost complete control over them.

The number of Knights is truly sickening. Quinlan Vos stayed, for he remembers the glory of the Dark Side. Koffi Arana, Beldor Jesaj, and Klaggrakh were the only others.

As for Masters, only he and Anakin remain. However, Anakin is very much on the fence with his decision, and the only reason he stayed is that he doesn't want to confirm leaving. One thing that does bring him comfort is the future. His Younglings were mainly fine, and since Obi-Wan and his followers have no jurisdiction over Jedi babies, he will soon go back to original strength. That is, if one considers 20 years to be soon.

Another thing is that certain Knights are starting to come back. Dark Jedi such as Barriss Offee, Artel Darc, and Finas Corpa have talked with him about returning. This is great, but he needs to work with getting all three of them out of the courts, since they were all captured, and are being tried for war crimes.

Even so, as of now, his Order his weak. But, he is about to do one thing that will help out the cause. Looking down at his crono, he sees that it is time to begin his announcement. He looks at the Jedi crowded around him. They are so few. But, he clears his throat, and says, "Jedi, I am here to make a major announcement to make, one that will empower our Order to do amazing things.

I am sure that you all heard the poisonous words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I thank you for resisting them. I am not the villain here. The Sith are not the only ones who use the Dark Side, and it can be used in other ways. Even for the greater good. As a matter of fact, everything that I have done through the Dark Side has been done for the greater good. Through the Dark Side, it was I who killed Darth Sidious. Through the Dark Side, it was I who saved our Order from the Senate. Through the Dark Side, it is we who shall triumph.

The Dark Side will empower us, and it will feed us. We will become more powerful than Kenobi and his band of fools. Look at where we are, and where they are. Is the evidence not clear enough? We shall have victory, and a victory that will last forever! The Jedi Order will triumph!"

Applause rings out from around him, though not much of it can come from four Jedi Knights, one Jedi Master, 20 Jedi Padawans, and a crowd of Younglings.

As they walk away, he grabs Anakin by the arm. "Anakin, before you go, I would like to offer you a special mission, one that will secure our future and our power."

"What is it, Master Windu?" Anakin asks, raising an eyebrow. Mace can tell that he is worried that it will be against Kenobi.

"The Separatist Senators, as well as pretty much any organic soldier loyal to the Confederacy, is cowering on Raxus. Our cruisers have blockaded the planet, and neither of us have struck just yet. We are preparing to wipe them out with an orbital bombardment, but they have a large shield that is protecting their main city. This is the city we need to take. What I need you to do is sneak down into the city, and sabotage the shield generator. Then, our cruisers can bombard the city, and destroy this last pocket of resistance."

Anakin frowns. "It would be an honor, Master, but I am not sure that I would want to do it, for the moral applications. Give me some time to think."

"Indeed, Skywalker, but we don't have much time, so please inform me of your decision by tomorrow afternoon.

1 day later

Coruscant, Padmé Amidala's apartment

Status: Stressed

Anakin sighs as he considers everything occurring. Mace is certainly a figure that he is really unsure about. He is becoming morally questionable, that is for sure, but perhaps what he does is for the greater good. But, there is always the thing about passion. Mace is simply following and using passion.

Obviously, Anakin is by no means against passion. If Obi-Wan and his followers are, then perhaps they are not right, either. It is all so confusing. Nothing is black and white anymore. However, when it comes down to it, it never was, he just didn't realize it. Everything is just gray, and now that he realizes it, he has to deal with the difficulty of understanding it. And in addition, there is Padmé, and their baby is due very soon. It is all just too much.

Then, Padmé enters the room, interrupting his thoughts. "Anakin, I think that the baby is coming!" she says.


	25. Chapter 25

10 minutes later

Ilum, Jedi camp

Status: Hopeful

Obi-Wan looks over the camp and smiles. He chose Ilum as a base because, as a part of Wild Space, it is not under the jurisdiction of the Republic. It is also a sacred sight for the Jedi, but that is only the crystal cave. So, as long as they pitch their tents outside the cave, they are completely fine legally, and they didn't even have to buy any land. Of course, they still have rights to enter the cave, so if anyone needs a lightsaber, they still have access to the crystals.

They have an absolutely massive camp of tents, containing most of the Jedi Order, before it split. Though many of the younger Jedi were incapable of understanding Mace's evil, they have a good percent of the older ones. Almost all of the knights, and all but a few of the padawans are with him. The Younglings are their major weakness, and he knows that they have no right to take babies into their Order. The only way for them to continue their line is when Jedi have children, so it is lucky that they are allowing it. In addition, they have all the Council, except for Windu and... Anakin.

It hurts him to think that Anakin is not with him. Currently, Anakin is on the fence, simply not sure who to side with. But Windu has become more sly recently, so perhaps he will be able to corrupt Anakin. However, the thought of fighting Anakin, or simply working against him is to much to bear. It would never happen. Anakin would never fight him. It does not matter how any higher deity would spin history, how they would change it, he would never fight Anakin. It will not happen in this life, and it would not happen in any other.

He looks at the "Council," currently gathered in one of the makeshift tents. There are currently only nine of them, since Yoda, Mace and Anakin are not present. So, it is currently him, Qui-Gon, Kit, Shaak, Ki-Adi, Coleman, Luminara, Plo, and Stass. Some of the Knights have crowded around the tent, but only so many can crowd around it.

"I think it is time we get started," he finally says. It is time for the Jedi Order to get started. Taking a deep breath, he says, "I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, found this Jedi Order. We will uphold to all the principles and ways of our old former Order, but not submit to the reforms of the Sith Lord Mace Windu. We will stay stay separate from the Republic that he will no doubt corrupt, but we will still serve the galaxy as a whole in every way we can, and protect justice. This will include, should it come to it, fighting against this Sith, if he brings injustice to the citizens of the citizens of the galaxy."

Applause rings out from the camp, and the Council rings out nothing but affirmatives, and positive comments. Then, a Jedi Knight comes in, and says, "Masters, we have a holonet reporter looking to ask some questions."

This will definitely be a good opportunity to earn a bit of a voice, before Mace gets out all of his lies to the public. Apparently he hasn't censored the holonet just yet. "Send him in. I would be glad to talk with him."

20 minutes later

Official Republic Military and Senatorial Hospital

Status: Overjoyed

Anakin grins with joy as he looks to the baby in his arms. He is a boy, though the white gown that he wears offers no proof of it, as opposed to the traditional blue given to baby boys. He is beautiful, so calm, so peaceful. Despite this, he can already feel the boy's power. Even as a baby, he is curiously poking at Anakin's mental shield, and he can assume that he is doing similar to Padmé.

A medical droid comes over, confirming what Anakin already knows. "He has very high midi-chlorian count. Approximately 21,000 per cell." Anakin smiles, as that is almost exactly the same as his own. But, he feels more life. Life inside... Padmé?

Then Padmé, covered in sweat, says, "Anakin, I am feeling the pain again... I... Arrggh!"

1 minute later

Official Republic Military and Senatorial Hospital

Status: More overjoyed?

Anakin smiles, looking at the other baby, a girl. Like the boy, she is dressed in all white. She looks so happy, especially as the Medical Droid hands her over to Padmé to hold. Padmé, also smiles. They are both so cute. "She is healthy, just like her brother. In addition, she has high midi-chlorian count, as well. She has approximately 12,000 per cell." Anakin frowns in surprise. Definately not as good as Luke, but she will still make a powerful Jedi, and he has no doubt that she will make him proud. "It's okay. Midi-chlorian count isn't everything," Padmé says.

"Yes, I know. I am just surprised," he explains.

"What should we name them?" Anakin asks, looking carefully at the boy in his arms, and the girl in Padmé's.

"She... should be Leia," Padmé offers, and Anakin nods. It sounds good.

"It sounds good. What do you think of Luke?" he asks, considering the boy.

"Yes. Luke is a fine name," she says, nodding as she looks at the boy.

"They will serve us well," a voice says from behind them. Anakin turns around, and sees Mace Windu.

How did he not sense him? Mace is becoming more powerful, and it is somewhat unsettling. Why did he have to hide his presence from him. Perhaps Windu is simply showing off his new power. Then, seeing Anakin's surprise, he says, "I am assuming you want them trained as Jedi?" Mace says, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, of course, but the question is which Jedi. Keep in mind, I am still completely on the fence right now. I still have yet to make a decision. However, either way, I have made a decision in one thing. I think I definitely need to stay with Padmé for now, so please, send someone else on the mission against the CIS remnant," he says, hoping that that will send Windu away. Right now, the last thing he wants is to talk business.

"Thank you, Anakin. I think that I have an idea for who will go in your place," Mace says, as he leaves. Anakin smiles. Now, he can spend time with just Padmé, Luke, and Leia. Though the other type of Jedi have a leader that he does want to talk to. Obi-Wan is practically family to him, so it is only fair that he be told. Padmé is already contacting her family.

Ilum, Jedi camp

Status: Relieved

Obi-Wan smiles. As great as it was to have a reporter bring their story to the holonet, he never liked talking to them, as it always stressed him. So, as the reported takes off, away from their camp, he is quite happy. Even so, another problem can always arise. This time it is Plo Koon who come up to him, saying, "Master Kenobi, we have an incoming transmission. It is for you, and you alone."

"Who is it from?" he asks, somewhat confused.

"Skywalker," Koon says, and that is all it takes to have Obi-Wan sprinting toward the holo-transmitter. He presses the button to accept the communication, and what comes up is quite a surprise to him.

First, it is not only Anakin, but Padmé is also with him- in a hospital bed? The communication is somewhat slow, and lagged, so figure start to appear slowly, one at a time explaining the answer to his questions. First, a baby appears in Anakin's arms, then one in Padmé's. Why are they holding two babies? He is sure that Anakin said "baby."

Then, several more beings pop up. They are human, and he doesn't recognize them. Still, he finally realizes that they look like people that could be Padmé's family. So, Padmé had her baby, and apparently two.

"Padmé, your babies are so cute!" one of the unrecognized people says, smiling. She looks to be her mother.

"They are, and they are quite a nice thing to feel in the Force," Anakin says. "They are both so calm and content."

"I can even feel it over the holonet," Obi-Wan says, as he tries to sense them in the Force.

"You must be Obi-Wan Kenobi," a man says, who looks like he is her father.

"Yes, I am. Anakin is like a son to me in some way, and in others, a brother," he says, explaining to help the somewhat confused looks on the faces of Padmé's family.

"And what did you name the children?" Padmé's mother asks, looking at them with a keen eye.

"This is Leia," Padmé says, gesturing to the girl in her arms.

"And this is Luke," Anakin says, turning to show everyone the baby.

"Also, perhaps we have some introducing to do, beyond the children, as well. I feel like we need to get to know eachother better, since we are family, after all. We have barely even met Anakin, and you are pretty much a stranger," Padmé's mother says, a warm smile spreading across her face.

"Yes, indeed. I would love for us to meet in person, but, as the holonet may reveal to you soon, I am somewhat busy here on Ilum. It is a rather confusing situation, and it is quite a long story," he says, after he realizes that explaining what has happened with the Jedi recently would be a very long story.

"Yes, indeed," another person, who looks to be a sister, says. "Now, I am..."

The next day, mid-morning

Senate Chambers

Status: Unsure

Normally, when something morally questionable is done in the war, a human woman known as Senator Amidala brings the Naboo pod forward, and passionately speaks about it, trying to convince the Senate to not do it. In this case, something morally questionable is being done, but now, a Betty Droid known as SG-248 brings the Naboo pod forward, and, via live audio relayed from Senator Amidala, passionately speaks about it.

Even in the hospital, Padmé simply could not let such an issue slip by, when Anakin explained to her what they mission that Mace talked about was. She is glad that Anakin did not agree to do it, but she does not want the Republic to do such a thing. Bombing the city may get rid of the CIS remnant with minimal casualties, but it will kill hundreds of thousands of innocents civilians, maybe even millions.

Of course, Mace says that those citizens are hardly "innocent," and by joining the CIS, they deserve what is coming from them. With that, like a pet trying to please its owner, plenty of the Senators agree with that, and as such, it looks like the move will get passed after all. "Do you even care about these people! Have you completely forgotten who you are fighting for? These are innocents, don't kill them!"

She immediately hears the response back in the comm. "They joined the CIS. They are not innocents. How many times do I have to tell this to you, Senator?"

"So they deserve to die?" she asks rhetorically, desperately hoping to convince the other Senators.

"Fine. I never wanted it to come to this, but I will do what I must. Right now, the Senate is too choked up by things like weak Senators, and bureaucrats. Nothing ever gets done, just endless debates. My Jedi are in position, and simply waiting for the go-ahead. As such, I choose to pick back up the emergency powers that were given to the position of Supreme Chancellor. I wanted to forget about these, but now I see that it isn't possible. They are needed.

With this, I choose to deny any decision made by the Senate. As Supreme Chancellor, I will order them to attack."

She can do nothing but shake her head sadly, and even that is not seen by the Senators. All they can hear is her voice, and for that, she has nothing. She looks to her babies, Luke and Leia, sadly, saying, "We live in a corrupt galaxy, and I am doing everything that I can."


	26. Chapter 26

5 minutes later

Venator Class Cruiser above Raxus, Command Bridge

Status: Determined

Artel Darc looks at the hologram of Mace. He knows that this is the moment where he will finally find out if he is allowed to strike, or if he will have to do some other form of invasion. He can understand the opposition to it, since they would be bombing a city of 2,000,000. But, just because he understands it, that doesn't mean he agrees with it. Even if they were innocent, which they are not, their sacrifice would be worth it.

However, when he sees the look on Windu's face, he knows that he has good news. "Jedi Darc, it is good to see you."

"The honor is all mine, Master Windu. Thank you for getting me out of the courts," he says, bowing.

"We need all the Jedi we can get, and for those who repent, the doors of the Temple are always open," Mace says, smiling.

"Yes, but I am sure that you have a purpose to this conversation," he says, excited to receive the go-ahead. Mace is about to give him permission to be a hero, and he is not in the mood to wait.

"Darc, this mission has been approved. Do what what must be done. And when the time comes for the orbital strike, do not hesitate. Show no mercy," Mace says, smiling.

"Thank you, Master," he says, and prepares to turn off the holoprojector.

"Wait. I forgot to tell you. A little while ago, I decided that it was best to send two Jedi. I do not want any risks that could jeopardize this mission. So, I want to say that you must wait for another hour. Master Vos will be arriving soon."

He sighs. This is not something that he wanted, but his is not about to question Master Windu. He will still get half the glory, and that is perfectly fine to him.

About one hour later

Venator Class Cruiser above Raxus, Starboard hangar

Status: Bored

Artel paces the hangar restlessly, waiting for Quinlan to arrive. He is eager to get underway. Finally, he gets a communication from Admiral Aldamar. "Sir, Master Vos has exited hyperspace, and he is boarding now," the Admiral says, and Darc nods. Though outwardly, he is calm and collected, like any military commander would be, on the inside, he is bellowing up with passion and excitement.

As the shuttle, a Theta class, enters the hangar, he walks up to greet it. Before it even lands, though, the boarding ramp descends, and Quinlan Vos leaps down. He does a frontflip on the way down before smoothly landing on his feet.

"Are you ready to go, Master Darc?" Vos asks, smiling.

"Oh, you have no idea..." he says, grinning in excitement.

The Force gives me a pretty good idea. You might want to practice your mental shields," Vos says, laughing slightly.

Darc simply grimaces. They both walk toward the gunship that awaits them, while the shuttle makes a proper landing behind them. Onboard, there are four clones standing ready. Though, they are not normal clones. They are Clone Commandos, and they are the best of the best. They four have fought through the entire Clone Wars together, and are known as Gamma squad.

"Sergeant Ores, are you ready to get going?" he says, looking at the trooper that he knows to be the leader of the team.

"We are ready when you are, Generals," he responds.

"Well, I need to get the briefing first, and it would be good to know what your strengths and weaknesses are," Vos says, looking at the Clones.

They nod, and the sergeant speaks first. He is clad in armor that has blue markings, and like all Commandos, it is Katarn armor, which is much stronger than standard Laminate armor given to clones. "I am Sergeant Ores. Ores is Mando'a for 'manual,' and my squadmates gave me the name because I like my manuals. I know 'em all, and I like to do things by the book. With all the tactics at my disposal, I have become squad leader. Of course, I have also read every manual on vibroblade combat, so I can fight close quarters, and my aim isn't to shabby, either."

The next to speak is clad in armor with green markings. "I'm Scope, and sniping is my expertise, not talking. So... yeah."

Artel elbows Quinlan, and says, "He just doesn't like to talk. But just because he doesn't mention sniping kilometer away CIS generals doesn't mean that he can't."

The next to is wearing orange armor. "I am Blazer, the demolitions expert. I like to blow stuff up, and I have have a knack for recognizing... 'architectural weaknesses.' Mainly, I just destroy stuff. If you want to know whether Detonite, Baradium, Plasma, or Proton Grenades should be used to blow something up, how to set each of them up, and where to put them, then that's me."

Finally, the last one, with red armor, says, "I am Data. I am the computer and maintenance expert. I am a slicer, mainly, but if we need to fix a vehicle or droid, that is also my area."

"Thank you. Now, onto the plan. What is it?" Vos asks, looking at Artel.

"Well, it would be reasonable to assume that they know what we are planning, so I think that we will need to send a diversion. We will all head into the gunship, and fly towards the city. Once we are close enough for them to scan for life-forms, they will probably assume that we are a strike team sent to disable the shield. However, if we eject before we are attacked, nobody will notice us as we land on the wilderness outside the city, and we can let a pilot droid give them the false feeling of defeating us and crashing our gunship.

Of course, when they find nobody, they will send their men into the forests, well we enter the other side of the city via sewer tunnel. That should take us all the way to main building housing the shield generators, where we can try to strike fast before they can react. We will work our way to the room with the shield generator, and Blazer should be able to blow it up. Once it is gone, we will try to steal a speeder, and use it to escape the city. Once we are away from the city, the Venator Cruisers can bomb it until there is nothing left.

They will send down a shuttle to pick us up, and this war will completely and totally end," he says, smiling at the thought of it.

"Sounds good," Vos says, and Artel hands him a datapad with maps of the city, sewers, and shield building.

"Just in case we need to split up," he explains, and Vos nods. Then, they both get in the gunship, and they take off. He and Quinlan are very similar, in many ways. Both of them were not always Jedi, and ironically, both have served the Confederacy. Both held the position of "Dark Acolyte," and they had high ranks the forces of the now dead Count Dooku.

Now, they have both returned to the Dark Side. The Dark Side is the way things should be, and he always knew that. The Dark Side is more powerful, and when it comes down to it, power is the only thing that really matters. Sure, Mace says that power exists for a purpose, and that power and must be used for good, but it is still a small difference.

When it comes down to it, the Jedi Order, now, is about seeking power, and that is something that connects all of them. So, for that, Darc has joined them. If one wants power, then it is best to be on the winning side.

Although both of them are humanoid males, he and Vos are very different when it comes to looks. He is older, and and has blond hair that stays curled in the mess atop his skull, while Vos is much younger, and has long black hair running down to his shoulders. Vos is also well muscled, and physical strength was never his strong suit.

He and Vos also have similar minds. They are both foes to be reckoned with in combat, but they are both more the plotting type, planning their moves ahead of time, manipulating others, using deceit to further their ends, and most importantly, keeping their cards close to their bodies.

He doesn't know how well he would do against Vos, but he can say that he survived an encounter with Shaak Ti during the Battle of Dagu, and she is on the Jedi Council. He will be eager to spar against Vos, but now is not the time. Soon, they will reach the drop point, and he needs to be ready...

1 minute later

Separatist Headquarters, Raxus

Status: Waiting

Wassar Wedd eyes the series of officers. After the droid shutdown, he barely escaped the Battle over Farfos, but was still able to reach Raxus. He is the best living, non-captive tactician loyal to the CIS, so the Separatist Parliament has ordered him to deal with defending Raxus. The Parliament, surprisingly, is entirely alive and free, safe in their Capitol Building that is not far from what is eccentially the only remaining CIS garrison.

He still has plenty of organic troops to command, but they are few, and the Republic still has their entire army. It certainly surprised him when he found out that the Republic was planning to bomb their Capital. The Republic once thought themselves to have the moral high ground. Oh, how far they have fallen.

Even so, his assignment is only more crucial. He needs to defend the garrison, because it holds the shield generators. Millions will die if he fails. He has been staying ready constantly, and it is wearing on him. He is a Quarren, and his normally red skin is starting to turn orange, and if he doesn't submerge himself in water, after a couple more days, his skin will turn an ugly yellow, and be very brittle.

But, he needs to be ready. He needs to defend, and the attack will no doubt be soon. All his troops are ready, awaiting orders, but all they can do is wait. He strokes the underside of his chin, reaching between his tentacles, a nervous habit.

Then, suddenly, one of the computer operators says, "Sir, we have a Republic Gunship in sector 12!"

"Hmmm... Are there any other ships?" Why would they only send one gunship?

"No, sir. Just the one," he says.

"Scan for life forms aboard it. I want to know what we are up against," he says, unsure of what to do. Why is the Republic doing this?

"There are six, sir. All roughly human sized," someone says. Just six men, and one gunship? They must have some sort of strike team. Surely they know that he has enough starfighters to counter.

He turns on his comlink, and says, "Flight crews Besh and Grek, get in your fighters! We have a Republic Gunship in sector 12! Sending exact now..." he presses in some buttons, and awaits feedback. The move doesn't make sense. However, he knows a type of tactician who doesn't make sense. "Jedi!" he says, in the same way he might say demon.

Of course the Republic would send a Jedi. Kenobi and Skywalker would do something like this, but Skywalker was reported as turning down the mission in favor of staying with his child, and Kenobi left the Jedi Order along with pretty much everyone after somebody took over.

However, pretending to quit the Order so that nobody thinks they are involved would be something that just screams of them anyway. So, he is in a battle of wits with Kenobi and Skywalker.

"I think that I have found out who are opponents are. Everyone, we are going against Kenobi and Skywalker."

But, if they are who he thinks they are, then they would try something funny. Like a evacuation. It would make sense. Fake a crash on one side of the city, and secretly land over the other side.

So he activates his comlink, and says, "Ground squads Aurek through Cresh, move to the wilderness on the west side of the city. I have a bit of a hunch..."


	27. Chapter 27

This chapter is kinda gross in the later parts, so sorry. Remember, Jedi are fine if you don't review, but Sith will choke you, Nightsisters will make voodoo dolls of you, and Imperial Moffs will destroy your homeworld if you don't leave one : )

Senate Building, Hangar

Status: Angry

Riyo Chuchi, former Senator of Pantora, steps into the Senate hangar. There, her ship, the "Pantora's Jewel," awaits her. It is a modified G type Nubian Yacht, and is smaller than what some Senators would use, but it suits her purposes well. It shares many similarities with H type Nubian Yacht, but is slightly shorter, and has a sapphire colored hull complemented with white on the rear sections that give it a distinct look. It shared the sleek shape, and modifications gave it sublight speed that is on par with the newer model.

She chose to have no weapons on it, as a result of a pacifistic ideals. A Senate Guard is standing guard, and as she enters, he greets her with, "Senator Chuchi, shall I prep your ship?"

"I am no longer a Senator, Captain. I resigned an hour ago after Chancellor Windu made his decision relating to the destruction of the CIS capital. I have been saying my goodbyes, for the past hour, but now it is time for me to leave," she says, looking to her ship.

The guard says nothing, and only turns away, so she walks onto her ship. After typing in the access code, the ramp descends, and she enters. Two Pantoran Guards stand ready as she enters, and she grimaces. "Rychor and Daru, as much as it pains me to say it, I have left the Senate. They have defied everything I stand for, so I have resigned. At this, you no longer have to protect me, since I am no longer a Senator," she says, hoping that all she will leave behind is not in vain. However, she has seen the news reports, and she trusts Obi-Wan Kenobi. With what he said about Windu, she considered quitting, but decided not to. She needed proof. Then, she got it. Mace gave it to her with the decision to bomb Raxus.

It seems as though Obi-Wan was not lying, especially given that 4,000 Jedi followed him off to Ilum. So, she intends to join him, and try to help. They must be in desperate need of credits, and she has plenty of them. Of course, she needs to talk with Obi-Wan, and find out for sure what he plans.

"No, Riyo," Daru says, interrupting her thoughts. "Senator or not, I am with you."

"Me, too," Rychor says, and she smiles. They have come to trust her as a just person, so they figure that if she quits, she has good reason.

"Very well. Let's go to Ilum," she says. Some say she is an idealist, though she likes to consider herself as a politician who cares for humanity. Of course, when it comes down to it, there isn't really a difference between the two. She just hopes that it doesn't get her killed. Mace doesn't seem very forgiving anymore.

30 seconds later

Wilderness on the west side of Raxoutia

Status: Calm

Quinlan Vos lands gracefully, although his jetpack providing a bit of help. Artel and the clones do the same, and he checks out the area. It is dense forest, though a distinct smell is coming about north of them. "What is that smell?" he asks, plugging his nose.

"That would be the sewage outflow pipe. If you can smell it, then that is great, since it means we must be close," Artel says, grinning. Apparently his nose is not as sensitive.

"Wait, you mean that we are walking into that, all the way to the garrison?" he asks, hoping the answer is no.

"Don't worry. Well it may smell bad here, the is only the pool where it collects. Once we enter the actual pipes, the smell shouldn't be as bad," Artel says, smiling.

"Excuse me, Generals, but can we get going? I have seen some far off movement in my electrobinoculars. If we are already spotted before we even reach the sewer, then things will be a whole lot harder than planned," Ores says, pointing to their east.

"Fine, let's go," Quinlan says, and they start heading toward the smell.

About 100 meters to east of the previous scene

Status: Confused

Draz Madnor was always said to be paranoid. He was also said have keen eyesight. He isn't sure which it is, but most of his squadmates consider it to be the former. Still, he and his doctor go with the latter. So, when he thought he saw something falling from the sky, everyone else laughed.

It was a usual routine, his seeing things. He would think he spotted something, most people wouldn't believe him, he would investigate, (on rare occasions someone else would believe him, and go with) and it would be nothing. Still, he always figured that one day, his paranoia would not be paranoid, and it would pay off big.

So, when he went to go investigate the object falling from the sky, nobody argued. They just let him go and look, so he did. He walks toward where he saw it, and then, he hears something. Voices. He might not be wrong, after all. Has it finally paid off? Then, suddenly, he reaches a clearing, where there is muddy, soggy, ground.

It is one of the sewage output pipes. The pipe is about two meters in diameter, and it dumps out sewage simply into the ground, as compost. Of course, directly where it lands is way too wet, for plants, but the dampness spreads out, until it is diverted enough to provide rich soil. However, a within a twenty meter radius of the pipe, it is practically a lake of sewage. The smell is horrid, and he is curious why someone is going to it. Then, the people step into the clearing with the 'lake,' and he is shocked.

Two Jedi and four Republic Commandos. He immediately gets out his holocamera, so as to record the group. It is the only way that anyone will believe him. He stays hidden behind a bush, and watches as the Jedi and Clones jetpack over the lake, and into the pipe. He smiles, for he has good a great deal of good for the Confederacy.

Once the Jedi are gone, he turns on his comlink and sets up communication with his sergeant. "Sergeant Sakit, look what I found!" he says, and transmits the holo of the Jedi and Clones entering the pipe.

30 seconds later

Separatist Headquarters, Raxus

Status: Worried

Wassar looks at the sergeant, named Sakit. He is in his late thirties, but still manages to maintain a rather impressive mustache with a deep brown color. He is a man loyal to the Confederacy, and an inspiring leader. What could Sakit possibly have to say?

The holographic version of his face offers no clue as to his emotions, but he finally says, "Commander Wedd, one of my men found this." Then, Sakit transmits a holo, and Wassar lets it play. It seems to come from the perspective of someone hiding in the woods, behind a bush. They are near the sewage outflow pipe, and on the edge of the trees before the clearing that holds the "lake."

Then, six men come out from another part of the trees, and jetpack over the lake. They enter the sewage pipe, and the holo stops. Indeed, there are two Jedi, but they are not Skywalker and Kenobi. Much to his surprise, they are Quinlan Vos and Artel Darc.

Darc and Vos were both officers in the Confederacy, and held the role "Dark Acolyte," before they quit the CIS and rejoined the Jedi. Traitors. Ironically, many of the Jedi in the Order, after the mass quitting, are actually former Dark Acolytes, so of course Windu had to rely on them. Quinlan Vos and Artel Darc. He will have to research their tactics. But, before that, he will need to deal with the problem in his sewers.

Two Jedi and a squad of Clone Commandos will make very interesting opponents, indeed, and he is eager to see if they can outwit him. Though, thinking of witty plans, he has one of his own. A dirty plan, indeed.

He sets his comm to a frequency that all citizens of Raxoutia can receive, then turns it on. "Citizens of our most noble Confederacy, this is General Wassar Wedd, with an urgent message. Now, this may seem like a rather weird request, but we have Jedi infiltrating our city, currently in the sewers. So, in approximately ten minutes, if you want to help save our city from an orbital strike, send as much liquid down into the sewers as possible. If you do this, you can help us flush out some Jedi! Thank you very much, this General Wedd, signing off," he says, smiling. The Jedi will be in for quite a surprise.

9 minutes later

Sewers under Raxoutia

Status: Smelly

Quinlan Vos always had a sensitive nose. If the sewage lake was like going to all nine hells of Corellia, then this would be about one of them, maybe one and a half. He should have brought a gas mask. The sewage pipe is an ugly gray stone, with some brown stains on the lower parts. It has about centimeter deep water slowly creeping through the bottom, and he has to wonder why they made the pipe two meters tall. However, is glad that it is so tall, because crawling through it would not be an enjoyable experience.

At least he has waterproof boots. Early on in the journey, he decided to try to be dignified, and simply breathe through his mouth, and use the Force to hold back the smell, but eventually, he gave up, and just plugged his nose.

It reminds him of the time where he tracked down Ziro the Hutt on Nal Hutta, and he entered the palace of "Mama the Hutt." He cut an "X" shape in the door, before using the Force to burst it open.

Obi-Wan, disappointed at his supposed indignity, had said, "Vos, somebody lives here!"

At that, he responded, "Smells like somebody died here!" Oh, the things he has been through. Still, the sewage lake was much worse than that. This isn't as bad, but the last thing that one wants when encountered bad smells is to think about other bad smells.

So, he tries to think about something else. The ventilation ducts that he went through while infiltrating the pirates of the Drafh smelled perfectly fine. Why can't they use one of those? Why did the thought of Drafh pirates come up in the first place?

Once he got captured, his cell smelled very bad. Oh, come on. He begs his mind for mercy, but it instead thinks of every malodorous thing he has ever encountered. Why? Finally, Artel mercifully drags him out of his thoughts by saying, "Ummm... Vos?"

"What?" he asks, wondering if he did something stupid, like take a wrong turn, while he was thinking.

"Have you noticed that the water level has rose?" Artel asks, pointing down. He looks down, and sees that the water has nearly risen to the top of his boots. He does not relish the idea of having it go over his boots, as he thinks of everything that is in it.

"Hmmm, that is odd," he says, wondering if perhaps going further into the city has caused it.

Artel says nothing, and Vos goes back into his thoughts, until, ohhh. The distinct sensation of being eet hits his right leg, and he lifts his foot out of the water. "Eww," he says. The water isn't cold, but the thought of its contents is disgusting to say the least.

"What is it Quinl... ohh. Erghh," Artel says, lifting his own foot above the water.

"The water is rising, and it is getting harder to walk against the current," Blazer says, looking to his own waterproof armor. For once Quinlan envies a clone. Perhaps he should demand the trooper to give him his armor.

"Look at it rise!" Quinlan says. The water level is rising so fast that they can see it going up, now. What is going on? Now he is completely soaked up to his waist.

"Use our jetpacks!" Data says, and all six of them turn on their jetpacks, staying above the rising water. They move forward slowly, because it is a twisting, turning route to navigate, but at least they can move. Suddenly, Ores says, "Wait! Water will damage this sort of jetpack. If we keep going, and the water keeps raising, it will destroy our jetpacks, and we will be stuck! We need to get out now. If we take a left here, there is an exit about twenty meters that way."

Vos nods. It makes sense, and he would definitely be glad to exit the pipe. "Fine, let's go," he says, and they turn towards the exit grate.

They head up, out of it, and breathe some fresh air. On the lower levels of the city, there are not many people, but there are still a few who are there. "Jedi and clones, run!" one of the civilians yells, and all of them scatter like flies.

"Well, they know where we are," Blazer says, looking to the civilians.

"Yep, so much for stealth until we reach the garrison," Artel says, just as Quinlan senses danger.

"Wait, what if they guarded all the exit grates?" he asks.

"What do you mean, there are no troops here," Ores says.

"No, I mean like..." Quinlan begins, and then Data, who had been looking closely around the exit grate, stands up.

But the reason that Quinlan never finished his sentence is what Data said as he stood up: "BOMB!"


	28. Chapter 28

I am trying to get these out quickly, because when school starts I won't have much time for writing. :(

Anyway, here is chapter 28:

Sorry for the cliffhanger.

Near the center of Raxoutia, lower streets

Status: Terror

When Artel hears "BOMB!" from one of his soldiers, that is all it takes to send him running.

They all run and leap away, just as the explosion goes off. However, for fear of collateral damage, the CIS had to keep the bomb's radius fairly small. They also had to add significant delay, because if they did it as soon as the Jedi went out, civilians would be caught in the blast. But if they did it shortly after, once as the Jedi got out, the citizens would run away from the Jedi. All that would be left in the area would be Jedi and clones, and then the explosion would kill them.

That mercy is a weakness. It could have been triggered the moment they opened the grate, and it would have killed them. But, the CIS gave them a chance to escape with the added delay. The explosion is small, but compact, so it throws him a good distance before he lands hard on the permacrete.

He notices that no clones are near him, since they and Master Vos must have ran the other way. He stands up, grabbing his lightsaber. He activates it, for the first time over the course of the mission. It still has its red hue. Mace allowed him to keep it that way, for red lightsabers are a symbols of strength and power, just as much as they symbolize the Sith. The line between the Sith and the Dark Side is a fine one, indeed.

"Commander Darc!" someone yells at him, and he is stunned to see someone he recognizes. He is an organic soldier that served under him on Dagu, who now seems to hold the rank of sergeant. Artel doesn't remember his name, and it doesn't matter.

"It is good to know that we have a Dark Acolyte on our side. But why didn't I know that you are here?" the man asks, barely containing himself in his happiness. So, the man thinks that he is still a CIS commander. This could be useful, very useful indeed. He deactivates his lightsaber.

"It was decided that my presence here would be secret, so that the Jedi would not know that we had a Dark Acolyte serving us," he says, the lie coming off his lips with practiced ease. He could have mind-tricked, but in public, like this, it would have been clear what was really going on.

"What was that bomb?" the man inquires.

"I was hunting down the Jedi invaders, and I had to use a heavy bomb to get the job done. It threw me around, too, but I just say that it is all the more proof that it is effective," he says, trying to add a dash of dark- and false- humor to his explanation.

"Anyway, please inform the commander that the Jedi were killed in the mine while exiting the sewer, do not mention me, for I fear that the Republic may intercept the transmission," he says, while fighting his growing desire to smile. This lie is coming together quite well.

"Yes, sir," he says, and gets out his comlink. The man does as ordered, and gets out his comlink to contact their leader. "Sir, I am glad to say that the Jedi were killed in the blast of your sewer mine."

"Good, good. Wait, how do you know this?" the commander asks. Thankfully, the man is a good liar, too.

"I simply observed. Jedi come out of the sewer, and then they were blown up," the sergeant says. Artel gives him a thumbs up. "Do you have a body?" Wedd asks, and Artel sighs.

"I will send some of my men to find the bodies," the sergeant says.

"Thank you, Sergeant Xio," the commander says, and Artel breathes a sigh of relief. He has fooled them.

They sign off, and he says, "Now, could you please take me back to base, Sergeant Xio?"

"Sure. I have a speeder parked not far away," Xio says, and Artel smiles. This is going well. As they ride to the base, he opens up his mental powers. Telepathy, Mind Tricks, and Mind Reading were always his specialty, so he can easily communicate telepathically with Vos.

Near the center of Raxoutia, lower streets

Status: Stealthy

Quinlan and all of the clones continue to move through back alleys and shadows, trying to stay hidden. He trusts Artel to contact him, but if Artel doesn't do anything soon, then he will have to assume the worst, which is that he is dead or captured. Artel has way more power in mental abilities and telepathy, so he cannot contact Artel, Artel must contact him. He can't use comlinks, for it could be intercepted and tracked.

But, Artel finally contacts him. "Quinlan, I have a Separatist sergeant thinking that I am on his side. He told their commander that all of us have died, but he sent a search party to look for bodies anyway. He is taking me to their garrison now."

Quinlan considers the report. It is slippery, what Artel has done, but he will simply have to stick with the original plan, and hope that Artel can fool them for a little while.

"Okay. Everyone has survived, and they are with me. We are creeping our way to the garrison," he says, and he can sense approval coming from Artel. All is well.

"Thanks. I'll be trying to go in undetected," Artel says.

Then, they both sign off from their telepathic connection, and continue with their respective goals. Quinlan continues to traverse through the shadows with the clones, and Artel will probably continue riding on the speeder.

About 1 minute later

Not far from the the CIS garrison, Raxoutia

Status: Calm

"Now, remember, say nothing of me," Artel says to Sergeant Xio.

"Will do, sir. Anything to further the CIS cause," Xio says. He is so easily fooled, Artel hasn't even had to use a mind trick yet. Again, he must resist the urge to smile.

When he begins to duck down so as to not be seen, Xio doesn't even question him.

"What are you are doing here, Sergeant Xio?" One of the troops guarding the hangar says. Time to see if Xio is really good at lying. "I... was just doing a quick scouting run. I have been searching to make sure that there are no Jedi sneaking around anywhere.

"Don't worry, there are no Jedi around here," the guard says, raising his blaster and smiling.

"Very well. I will move on," Xio says. Of course, at that point, Artel is already in the ventilation shafts. He closes the grate beneath him, as Xio continues to talk with the guard. Having no more time to waste, since they will be on to him soon, he decides to get going right away. A wrist monitor helps him navigate through the complex, and even find a few places at which he can stealthily go upwards.

About 2 minutes later

Near the center of Raxoutia, lower streets

Status: Stealthy

Quinlan Vos moves through the shadows with practiced ease, as do the Clone Commandos. However, the shadows are few, so if one knows that their target is in the shadows, the target can be very predictable. So, he is hardly surprised when he hears the infamous "Bu-du-la-sa-du, bu-lu-bu-da..." They turn as one, and the Probe Droid knows it is spotted. Still, more importantly, they have been spotted. As it turns to retreat, Quinlan crushes it with the Force. It doesn't change the fact that he knows they are too late.

It is not surprising that the probe droids were not deactivated, since they were not manufactured for the Separatists, only bought by them later on. "We will stick to the alleys, but there is no need for excessive sneakiness. Just run!"

They break into a sprint, charging with their weapons ready, though Quinlan doesn't have his saber active. It is only a matter of time before the Seppies are onto them. He still keeps going straight for the garrison, knowing that the only way out is to destroy the generator.

It takes only about a minute for the CIS troops to get to them, and they know that they will be in for a fight. The CIS commander seems like he or she is not one to underestimate them.

About one minute earlier

Separatist Headquarters, Raxus

Status: Confused

Wedd looks at the holograms of his five opponents. But, one is missing. Where is Artel Darc? Why would the Jedi split their forces? What is Darc trying? Still, he needs to focus on the present. It is time to act. "Ground squadrons Aurek through Esk, converge on the coordinates that I am sending now! There are a Jedi and four clone Commandos there. But also, beware of the missing Jedi, Artel Darc." he says into his comlink, and the sends the coordinates.

However, it is not long until he gets a message from Sergeant Xio, and he wonders why the man would contact him. Is he questioning orders?

"Commander Wedd, I... umm... may have been fooled by Darc. I thought he was still on our side, so I escorted him to the base. He told me to keep his presence secret, since he didn't want Republic spies knowing that he was involved. He said that he was our 'secret weapon.'"

Wedd sighs. Does everyone have to be so incompetent? But, perhaps this can work in his favor. "Very well, sergeant, I will act on it right away," he says. And if we live long enough to have time for it, you will be punished. He shakes his head. He needs to get thinking. How to surprise Artel?

Perhaps the Jedi's overconfidence can play to his favor. If the Jedi thinks that he is sneaky, and undetected, then he might not be as cautious as he should. A trap would almost be too easy.

Near the center of Raxoutia, lower streets

Status: About to be attacked

Quinlan actives his emerald blade, but does not stop running. "Wait here!" he yells, and then adds, "I have something special planned." Perhaps splitting up would allow them to outflank CIS forces. He can sense, the transports coming, and there are five. Two in front, one behind, and one coming in from each side. The clones stop, and raise their blasters, while he heads toward the shadows on the side, and moves forward. Then, the gunships land. Each carries ten troops that ride on the top and sides, plus a pilot and a sergeant, by the looks of it. The troops and sergeants get off their vehicles, but do not shoot.

The clones aim their blasters, but, like their opponents, don't shoot. The sergeant for a squadron labeled "Aurek" says, "Before you die, you kindly tell us where your Jedi friend is?"

However, everyone fails to realize Quinlan as he kills the pilot on the one of the front gunships. Familiarizing himself with the controls, he says, "Right here!" as a response to the sergeant's question. Before anyone can react he fires missiles at the center of a bridge that the clones were passing under, before they stopped.

The sides of the bridge fall, and Quinlan doesn't check to see if they, as planned, land on the gunships coming at the clones from the side. He is already steering the ship sideways, towards the gunship next to it. As they are about to collide and destroy eachother, he leaps out landing near some soldiers. In one swift move, he decapitates three of them.

The clones are doing the same, using the fallen bridge as cover as they try to take out the squads on the sides. He uses Shien to block shots coming towards him harmlessly away, often back at an opponent. At the same time, he advances, striking down anyone in the range of his lightsaber.

Within about ten seconds the numbers of troops near him go down from about a dozen, to zero. But, the final remaining gunship, attacking from the back, takes off again, heading towards Vos. He uses his jetpack combined with a Force Jump to leap at it, and quickly decapitates the pilot.

He uses the gunship's missiles to take down the remains of the CIS troops, and the battle is over.

"Let's go take down that shield generator!" he says, and the clones jetpack their way up to him.

Above the Shield Generator room, CIS Headquarters

Status: Peaceful

Artel looks down at the shield generator. It is so close. Sure, they intended to use a bomb from Blazer, but enough lightsaber strikes and Force crushes would probably do the trick. He looks down at the room. It is perhaps 10 meters by 10 meters, with a plain gray floor, ceiling, and walls.

At the center is a two meter by two meter box, about one meter tall. It is filled with buttons, switches, and screens. The rest of the room is surprisingly messy, with spare parts, tools, and and other odds and ends lying about. He jumps down, landing swiftly. He activates his lightsaber, but then he tastes something funny.

Gas! It is odorless, colorless, and has a very sweet taste. Hmm... It fits the description of a fairly widely used sleeping gas, and as a slightly dizzy feeling, starts to come onto him, he knows that his assumption is correct. He tries to move towards the generator, and destroy it before he passes out, but realizes that he is too late.

He stumbles and falls halfway to his target, and tries to get up, unsuccessfully. The edges of his vision start to become cloudy, but he tries to crawl forward. It is to no avail, since he cannot find the strength. Then, he starts to feel really tired...

Wow, I really like my cliffhangers with this little arc about destroying the CIS remnant. I think that the problem is that every scene ends in a cliffhanger, so there are no good stopping points. Next chapter will probably wrap up this arc, and then we can head back to Obi-Wan on Ilum, and Mace and Anakin on Coruscant. I want to set up a few more things, and do some tension rising, before the inevitable happens between Mace, Obi-Wan, and their followers.


	29. Chapter 29

Shield Generator Room, CIS Headquarters

Status: Pleased

Wassar enters the room, doing the Quarren equivalent of smiling, though it cannot be seen beneath his breath mask. The gas he used has probably been sucked into the ventilation ducts, but it will too diluted to have any was only a tiny bit of it, in a small canister next to where Artel would land, that opened as soon as he landed.

He grabs his blaster, setting it for stun, and unloads the charge into the back of Artel's head, just for good measure. Then, he gets an aqua-breather device, that has been modified to administer the sleeping gas in small quantities as well as oxygen, and keep Artel sound asleep.

He smiles. All is going according quite well, and now he has a hostage. How perfect. Then, his comlink buzzes. Ah, yes, the report on the rest of them. He answers it, and immediately hears, "Sir, we have Jedi and clones aboard an incoming Droid Gunship!"

"So, the Jedi hijacked our vehicles. Do nothing yet, sergeant. I will handle this," he says.

Then he contacts the gunship coming at his base, and doing it with a hologram, says, "Jedi and Clones. I believe that your name is Master Vos, and the... Gamma squad, if the images in my database are accurate. Whatever the case, I am sure that you are here to blow up the shield generator. Will your gunship's missiles could destroy most of this building, and topple this spire we call our garrison, I would not advise that. Your friend, Master Darc, is here with me." He grabs Artel's body, and pulls it into view of the holocamera. He also keeps his blaster trained on Artel, set for kill.

"So, if you try anything, and I mean anything, he dies. Now, if you want me to let him live, surrender yourselves to me, and your shall be treated properly as prisoners of war. I am a man of my word, so please, end this peacefully," he says.

There is a rather long, pause, Quinlan is clearly trying to come up with a plan. "Fine, but I want to see that you have Artel. Meet me at the 'front yard,' with Artel, where my troops and I will surrender," he says. It sounds fair, since holograms are easy to fake.

"I will be there," he says, and Quinlan signs off.

1 minute later

"Front Yard," CIS Headquarters

Status: Tense

Wassar, keeping his blaster trained on Artel, as two men carry him out, finally reach the "Front Yard," where Quinlan and four clones await them. He wonders if Quinlan will seriously surrender himself. The men set him down, and keeping as blaster on Artel, and his eyes on Quinlan, he considers the scene. It is certainly a beautiful day on Raxoutia, aside from the thought that it may be its last.

Gunships, AATs, MTTs, and other vehicles are out on the permacrete, but they stay off to the sides. Closer to the insides are statues of famous people in the Confederacy, including the late Count Dooku and General Grievous, most of them have place in the military, for this is the garrison building, not the parliament building.

Behind the yard, on one side, is the spire that is the garrison, while on the other, is a balcony looking over the city. Vos and his men stand in the middle of the yard, while about thirty of CIS soldiers surround them. He and Artel stand on the edge by the spire and its entrance, and his the butt of his blaster doesn't leave Artel's skull.

His finger is ready, but Vos doesn't have his lightsaber out, and the clones have their blasters lowered. All of Vos's troops (all four of them,) stand in a line, facing Wassar, with avos in the center, arms crossed, and eyes determined. Wassar takes one last look at his blaster, making sure that it is set to "kill." It is.

"Master Vos, is this evidence enough to bring a surrender from you and your men?" he inquires, raising an eyebrow. He moves behind Artel, so that he can see both Artel and Quinlan at the same time. He wouldn't want Quinlan Force-pushing Artel out of the way without him noticing.

"I believe that you have Artel captive, and I can sense that that is him," Vos says, surprisingly casually. Vos is trying something, of that Wassar is sure, but what that is, he doesn't know.

"Drop your weapons," he orders, looking Quinlan straight in the eye.

"No." At once, all of Wassar's troops point their guns at him. They do not shoot, though. Yes, Quinlan is trying something, but still the question remains: what is it?

Then, in the blink of an eye, Vos begins to sprint towards Wassar, uses the Force to send his lightsaber off his belt and into into his hand, and activates his lightsaber. By the time he was just starting to summon his lightsaber, Wassar had squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. As Vos was just deflecting the first shots fired at him, Wassar had looked at his blaster, and found it set to "safety." That kriffing Jedi used the Force to set his blaster to safety. Vos reaches Artel, and deflects a shot fired at the Jedi from one of Wassar's men. He uses his lightsaber to defend both of them.

The clones, at this point, have sprung into action and began to attack their opponents, but they are outnumbered, with no cover.

However, Vos is distracting most of the troops, and then he turns toward Wassar. He is changing the setting on his blaster. He turns to run, but knows he won't have time, as the Jedi's emerald lightsaber comes toward his side...

"Front Yard," next to CIS government spire

Status: Battle!

"No!" yells one of the troops, who runs at Vos, wielding a vibroblade. No matter, he moves to dodge the attack, while still continuing his attack on the commander. The troop does not go him, and instead tries to block his attack, and save the commander. Try to block a lightsaber. Yah, right. But, as his lightsaber makes contact with the blade, it stops. Cortosis, kriff. "You don't harm my commander!" the man says, and something about it just makes Vos tick. The arrogance, that is it. Yes, it is the arrogance, and the confidence.

The fact that he has the hubris to mess with one using the Dark Side. Vos, snarling, kicks the troop back and prepares to decapitate him. No, that is too easy a fate. Mace told him to embrace his hate, and for his confidence, he hates this man. Still twirling his lightsaber in defensive Shien patterns, he makes a grabbing gesture with his fist, and lifts the man into the air by his neck. Slowly, he closes off the airway, and then turns his hand into a closed fist. The man's neck snaps with an ugly crack, crushed by the Force, and he falls.

Vos turns to his troops. They are smart, and have focused the attack on one side, so that they can reach cover. They are fighting the CIS troops, but as the CIS troops start to advance, as one, Vos knows they are doomed. Would have been doomed, that is, had he not intervened.

He makes a pushing motion his his hands, and a large statue of Count Dooku falls on the troops, crushing them like bugs, as his troops finish off the ones lucky enough to not get crushed.

Quinlan then rushes to Artel. Thankfully, he seems to be unharmed, but he has an aqua-breather on, that seems to be administrating a sleeping gas. He takes off the breather, but it seems that the Jedi will be out cold for at least another twenty minutes. He would be more a liability than anything. "Ores, take Artel somewhere safe. We will pick you up once we are done," he commands, and Ores instantly picks up the unconscious Jedi.

"Very well," he says, and walks away, off to find some sort of back alley. Quinlan smiles. The clone never question orders. "Now, we have a job to do, let's go!"

They walk into complex, wary. It seems that the enemy commander escaped, and he is definitely a sly and clever fellow, not to be underestimated. Artel seems to have made that mistake, and it costed them. If Artel were free, this could have been so much easier. Perhaps he should have let Artel die.

He failed, and for that, at least under Mace's philosophy, that means he is deserves punishment. Although, the Jedi are low on members, and Artel is one of the few Jedi Knights. He is too valuable to die now. So, they rescued him.

And now, they are here, trying to a raid a tall CIS garrison, where their commander makes the rules. Perhaps he should have just let Artel die. It would have been so much easier. As they enter, he realizes that it would never work to fight their way through. There are going to be all of the troops coming back, and they cannot win against a full garrison. Perhaps they need to continue to think outside the box. Or, outside the spire. Oh, yes. This could work quite well.

"Wait. This would never work. We can't win against so many. We need to go a different way. Follow me!" he says, and they do, turning toward the side of the building. Sure, their stolen gunship would be shot down by fighters before it could bring down the spire, but if they went up, then starfighters couldn't shoot without risking hitting their own building.

The starfighters patrol around up ahead, knowing they don't stand a chance against the Jedi. However, they are going to have to do something pretty soon, or he will have found quite a whole in their defenses. So, he and his men use their jetpacks to head up to one of the top floors- the floor with the shield generator. Smiling, he begins to cut his way through the wall with his lightsaber. The starfighters are no doubt contacting the commandr, asking what to do, but then, it will be too late. Soon, a circular hole is cut, and he pushes it open. Stepping through, he smiles. All too easy. No, wait. Bomb!

This commander sure likes them. He and his men see it, and jetpack backwards, but the bomb explodes with them still in its radius. He tries to shield them with the Force, and it goes somewhat well. However, Data's jetpack is damaged in the blast, and Quinlan watches helplessly as his out of control jetpack leads him spiraling down to his doom. They are all somewhat far apart, thrown in various directions from the explosion.

Blazer and Scope seem to be fine, but then, the starfighters come in. They are still recovering from how the bomb threw them, and they simply cannot react in time. The pilots, though, are top-notch. As the starfighters, three of them, dive down towards them, each one fires. One fires a perfect shot down on Blazer, killing him. The other fires a good shot at Scope, but the jetpack is quite volatile. Even a tiny nip on the edge of it causes it to explode, killing Blazer.

The middle starfighter fires at Quinlan, and he manages to get his lightsaber out to deflect it. However, the sheer force of it manages to knock the lightsaber from his hand. Its green blade deactivates as it falls down, probably never to be seen again.

He may have survived, but this does not look good. The starfighters come over to him, simply staying in place, and training their guns on him, as he simply stays there. So, is this how it ends? Has he failed? Then, a very large hologram of the Separatist Commander appears. "Hello, Quinlan Vos," the commander says, looking upon his seemingly inescapable predicament.

Quinlan says nothing. He simply looks at the hologram in fury. Then, the hologram says, "I see that you have nothing to say, very well. I am simply communicating with you for the purpose of giving you this galaxy's final goodbyes. You were a clever opponent, but fortunately, not clever enough. And, I would like you to know that it is I, Wassar Wedd, who has defeated you. I, Wassar Wedd, who has predicted your every move. I, Wassar Wedd, who cut you off at every corner. I, Wassar Wedd, who defeated you. Now, would you like to surrender, or perhaps beg for mercy. Or maybe any final words?"

He simply scowls. "Can you even talk, Master Vos?! Or perhaps, the shame is simply too much. Well, whatever the case, prepare to die," the commander says, continuing his gloating. Then, the commander laughs, chuckling in his victory.

One does not laugh at a user of the Dark Side. He extends out his hands, trying to take advantage of the hole that the explosion left, and topple the spire. He screams in anger. Nothing happens. The commander laughs even more. He will not let it end this way, this humiliating way. You. Will. Move. He pushes with all his might, with all his hate. Still, nothing happens.

Still, he digs deeper. He screams, and much of the city covers their ears in terror from the sheer force of his angry bellow.

The pilots of the starfighters lose control in their agony, and their vehicles crash. The citizens beneath look up, to see a man flying high, next to the Confederacy Headquarters. His hands are extended forward, like he is pushing in invisible wall.

He pushes. He pushes. He hates. You. Will. Move. A confused but still hysterical commander laughs harder. He hates further. Then, the whine and screech of metal being bent occurs. A snap of one interior wall breaking occurs, but cannot be heard over the scream of Quinlan Vos. Then another, and another. Then, the hologram of the commander falls to the side, his rolling chair rolling to the lowest end of the room. His laughter turns to screaming, and Quinlan's screaming becomes laughter. With that, the top quarter of the Confederacy Headquarters falls off, taking the shield generator- and the shield- with it.

It lands with a mighty and murderous boom. It crushes many civilians, and, if his senses are right, Artel Darc as well. Quinlan does not stop his laughter, but flies off in his jetpack. Nobody has the courage to make a move to stop him. He reaches the city edge, then contacts the Republic Fleet with his comlink. "You may fire when ready," he says, smiling. "And by the way, send a gunship to my coordinates."


	30. Chapter 30

Wow, it has been forever since I updated. Sorry. Well, thirty chapters, so yay.

1 minute later

Jedi Camp, Ilum

Obi-Wan clutches his chest, as if in pain, as he feels it. The rest of the Council gives a similar reaction. They were just formalizing the decision to make him Grand Master, in the "Council Tent," but all were suddenly silenced. When they felt it, they knew what it was. The city of Raxoutia had been bombed. They all knew it was coming, but that didn't mean they feel it.

How could this have happened? This was not from the Senate, this decision. No, this was from the Jedi. It was the Jedi Order who decided to bomb the city.

Well, the other Jedi Order. Things are so confusing now. How far they have fallen. They have failed. They failed to stop Windu's fall. It is that simple. What did they do wrong? Where did their ways become flawed, as to the point where one of their greatest members fell, in a single day? A single, fateful, day.

"So they succeeded," he finally says.

"We have failed. We failed Master Windu. We failed the Republic. We failed Raxoutia. We failed the galaxy," Plo Koon says, shaking his head sadly. There is nothing more to be said. It is that simple.

Venator Class Star Destroyer, above Raxus

Status: Happy

Quinlan smiles as he watches their fleet release unrelenting fire on the helpless city. He has done it. He has succeeded. Then, an alarm signals that Master Windu is contacting him. He answers immediately, and smiles proudly as he looks at Mace. "You have done well, Master Vos," Mace says, by way of greeting.

Through the Dark Side, many things are possible. All things are possible," he says, bowing, but still keeping his confident smile.

"Yes, indeed. However, it is rather obvious that many Senators could have simply moved to different cities. So, there are a few more that I would like you to bomb. They will be easy, since they have no shield. That should take care of most of them, but just in case, I will keep the blockade there, until the whole planet starves. Raxus will pay," Mace says, smiling with sadistic joy.

"Very well, it will be done. Send me the list," he says. A moment later, a list of cities appears, next to Mace.

"Do what must be done. Do not hesitate, show no mercy," Mace says, not losing one bit of his sadistic stare and grin.

About 1 day later

Jedi Camp, Ilum

Status: Calm

Obi-Wan Kenobi looks to the skies, as a majestic blue and white ship soars above them. It starts to swoop down. It seems to be a Nubian Yacht, though he is not an expert on starships. It does not seem like the type of ship that a low on credits Jedi would use, and seems more suited to a Senator. Is it a representative from Windu who is here to negotiate?

They have very little in terms of communications, or even a proper landing pad, (none of the Jedi actually owned any ships) so the ship simply lands, toward the outskirts of camp. He breaks into a sprint with the Force, leaving behind his datapad, to reach the ship and greet their visitor, since the rest of the Council did elect him leader. They have yet to elect members in place of Yoda and Mace, and Anakin is still on the fence. Soon, Anakin has to make a decision, and if he doesn't come out of his gray state of mind soon, darkness will pull him in until he is gone.

But that will not happen. He will not let Anakin fall. He has been contacting Anakin daily, and he can tell that Anakin's resolve is starting to slip under Mace. Slowly, for sure, and he is not beyond saving, but he needs to stop falling, or he will be soon.

He brings himself back to the present, as he has reached the ship. There are several Jedi around it, and they seem to be talking to someone, but who? However, upon his entry, the circle of Jedi parts, to reveal the figure standing in the middle. Senator Riyo Chuchi.

Not quite a pacifist, but definitely an idealist. She wears an elaborate dress that complements her skin well, and she stands out against the modest Jedi surrounding her. Two guards flank her, also Pantoran. Now, the question is, why is she here? She doesn't explain her purpose immediately, and simply greets, "Master Kenobi, you have got here rather quickly."

He smiles. "I don't want to keep a guest waiting, much less a Senator" he says, deciding not to force whatever subject that she is going to bring up.

"Well, actually, I am not a Senator anymore," she says, not offering anything more.

"Did Mace force you to leave?" he inquires, wondering what could have caused such an occurrence, and why she is here.

"No, I quit. I trust your judgement, Master Kenobi, and he have seen firsthand the brutality of Master Windu. The holonet has revealed even more, and I have come to realize that the democracy that I once loved is no longer there. I saw what Windu did to one of the more influential Senators. They were debating, and then, suddenly, the Senator paused, saying he suddenly received a headache. But after that, the Senator seemed to agree just fine with Windu, and helped to campaign for Windu, convincing others to vote for him. Windu is a tyrant, and now he is loved. He is cruel, and I trust you in the fact that he will only get worse," she says, finally taking a breath after her small speech.

"I see," he simply says.

"I am here for your guidance, Master Jedi. And to help. It seems you are a little short on credits," she says, smiling. It is true. They have had to survive on hunting for food, and it is not easy on a planet like Ilum. And ships? Speeders? Communications? Defense? Forget about it.

"Well, that would be true. We are fairly, uh, primitive right now," he says, gesturing to a group of Jedi bringing in a dead animal to be cooked.

"I see," she responds, thinking about how the Jedi have moved from their glorious temple to a primitive camp of tents. Oh, wait, it is impolite to read other's minds.

"I think that a proper, stable, food supply would be a good start," he adds, and she nods.

About two days later

Jedi Camp, Ilum

Status: Busy, and less primitive

Obi-Wan looks outside at the Jedi Camp with a slight aura of pride about him. Things have changed, now, and after Windu continued to bomb Raxus, and starve the rest, while the holonet made them more well known, they attracted quite a few members. These now include more Senators, most notably Senator Organa, though still no Padmé (With Anakin on Coruscant) as well as a few deserter clones. They are mostly the ones high enough in the ranks to know their Jedi, and trust them. They include Captain Rex, Commander Cody, and cybernetic Echo. There are others, too, but he doesn't know them.

There are some just plain misfits, (Perhaps Jar Jar should be moved from Senators to this area.) including a Wookiee who is former CIS general now in love with one of their Wookiee Jedi, after he offered to take her to Kashyyyk and show her what the CIS did to... (He kind of stopped listening at that point, as it seemed like a long story) and several former resistance leader and revolutionary types, such as Cham Syndulla.

Meeting with a lot of them has shown him that even before Windu and Palpatine, the Republic was flawed. He was just too arrogant to realize it. They are, essentially, a group of people wanting to do things in favor of the greater good. The Senators really just provide the money, while the former clones, misfits, and resistance leaders generally just sit around and help out, ready to act if it comes to war.

They have all gathered around, now, with the idea in general of making things official. They have already come up with a name, for their Jedi, at least, as the "True Jedi Order," since they uphold to the true Jedi ideals. Everybody else is there to support, and he knows that every one of them is valuable. However, they also need the Jedi.

They, the Jedi are leaders, and of course, generals and soldiers should it come to it. He clears his throat, and finally says, "So now, I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, pronounce us to be the True Jedi Order! We are here to help this galaxy, and we will let the common good be held above all,and we will not be blinded by an endless pursuit of power. We will help this galaxy!" he says, and applause rings out from everyone. The Council, the others, the clones, the Senators, the misfits, and the resistance leaders.

1 hour later

Jedi Temple, primary meeting area

Status: Angry

Mace Windu is not happy, to say the least. He has been busy in the Senate, dealing with Confederate planets rejoining, amongst other things. He is in a time of change, and it is very busy. Obi-Wan isn't helping. As much as he is trying to censor and deal with the HoloNet, he just doesn't have the control and power that he needs. His actions relating to Raxus are being cursed, while Obi-Wan and his little band on Ilum get more and more attention.

The HoloNet seems to love them, no matter what Mace does. They are just here to do good, they say. Now they even have a name: the "True Jedi Order." This formalization is making them seem better than ever, and though they say they do not intend to attack him, he knows that it is only a matter of time. But, to help with morale, they need a name, too. So, he decided on the "New Jedi Order," for they have new, reformed, Jedi ideals.

Of course, it isn't formal yet. That is what he is doing now, gathering all his Jedi together. It is time to begin, he decides, looking upon the crowd of Jedi. "Thank you all for coming, as this is a very important moment. It now, where we have a name. We are not just the Jedi. For we are reformed, different, and more powerful. We need a name to separate us from Kenobi and his ragtag band of fools. So, I pronounce this to be the New Jedi Order, for that is what we are. We have been reborn anew through the trials of the Clone Wars, and now, our eyes have been opened to true power. To power!" he says, swinging his fist in the air.

They cheer. A name has power. Perhaps one who doesn't understand power, might ask, what is the value of a name? Of course, they would not bother to think about it. But, then again, those who do not think like he does don't think about worthwhile things, anyway. A name gives identity, and it connects them to their past. Anything that has a name has that name for a reason. Vaapad was named after an animal of similar qualities to the fighting style. Both the Sith and the Jedi were named after things that connected to them.

Names provide identity, and even existence. For someone without a name is nothing. If he is Mace, then one is what their name is. So, if one has no name, then they are nothing. Now, they are something. They are the New Jedi.

Now, they are. They exist. To exist, one could argue is perhaps the first, most basic level of power. And power is really the only clearly defined thing in this universe. Good and evil are simply vague points of view. Some cultures say cannibalism is perfectly fine, others find it repulsive. Some people say murder is evil, but then what of the meat that they eat? All morality is only a point of view. They shall hold onto good, but they will remember that it is only a point of view. Power is of no point of view. It simply is. So, first, they shall find power.


	31. Chapter 31

Sorry for not updating! I don't know why, but I just haven't felt like writing recently. I am hoping that I can go back to regular updates.

A couple hours later

True Jedi Base, Council Chambers, Ilum

Status: Unsure of what to do

Bail Organa, having recently arrived at the True Jedi base, as it is now called, is quite impressed. They have managed to build a rather amazing base, given their limited time. They have turret defenses, a small planet to space ion cannon, stable food being imported, reliable heat in their tents, and a proper comm system. It is in no small part from his funds, but also those of Chuchi, (Who managed to get the Pantoran Parliament to support the True Jedi,) and his good friend Mon Mothma, who was able to support them. Padmé has yet to give them any sort of yes or no information on her side.

They are technically just wanting to help, but reading between the lines, they are waiting for things to escalate to war. An excuse to make them look like good guys. Right now, though, they lack the support needed to start a war. They have no good reason as of yet, and Mace would have the people's support in "defending the Republic."

So, they can wait. It is really all that there is to do. Wait. They have not had any sort of contact with Mace, and things are just ice cold, plain and simple. It is time to somewhat make their decision official. "I think it is time we get this meeting started," Obi-Wan comments, as Ki-Adi-Mundi walks in and sits down.

They all sit on the floor, but at least it is carpeted. Currently, Obi-Wan and the rest of the True Jedi Council is present, as well as Senators such as Mothma, Chuchi, and himself. Captain Rex and Commander Cody are there, and Jar Jar Binks and Cham Syndulla finish off the list of people present.

"Everyone is here, so I think that that would make sense," Plo says, looking closely at the crowd through his goggled eyes. Obi-Wan then says, "This is a meeting that will not be openly discussed or mentioned. This is where we make sure that we are all on the same page on what exactly is between the lines."

"I say we attack now," Rex says, keeping his eyes narrowed and his face focused. "If we get the first move, then we will have a better chance."

"But then, the public would see us as terrorists. We would have very few allies, unless we wait," Mothma says.

"If we wait, what happens when five Venators drop out of hyperspace above this planet? We would be slaughtered!" Cham says, before Rex can say that.

"If we attack now, we would be slaughtered!" Chuchi says.

"Plus, Mace cannot legally declare war on us without getting approval from the Senate. In order to attack, he would have to openly discuss the war in the Senate. It would be on the holonet, as well, and we could surely evacuate in time. Then, at least, he would appear as the antagonist," Bail says, as he remembers the process of legally starting the Clone Wars.

"Then perhaps it is best we wait. But, if systems try to declare independence from this new Republic, or if obvious atrocities are committed, then we should take advantage, and act," Shaak Ti says.

"So, is it agreed that for now, we wait, and once we have good reason, we will attack?" Obi-Wan says, trying to summarize what has been said. General sounds of approval result from mostly everyone, and he officially adjourns the meeting.

A couple days later

Chancellor Windu's Office

Status: Annoyed

To Mace Windu, Obi-Wan and his little band are like an itch that he just can't scratch. It was be easy to attack, and say that spies have discovered that the True Jedi were preparing for war, so they unleashed a pre-emptive strike. The problem lies in the fact that he needs the Senate to do anything. He can't declare war, because he needs the Senate's approval. But, anything in the Senate would be discovered by the True Jedi, and they would scatter and hide before he could act.

The system that is the current Republic is flawed, but it might be a bit too early to fix it. Of course, he has no choice. He needs to change it if he wants to deal with Obi-Wan. How can he get enough power to do what need to be done, without getting too excessive? Perhaps the Jedi need more power. That would solve the problem. The Jedi should have more power than the Senate, or, perhaps he and the Jedi don't even need the Senate. No, he is getting ahead of himself.

He needs to keep the Senate intact, as well as give them the illusion of power. Perhaps the Senate and the Jedi should hold equal power. The only problem would be deciding on the ties. He could do that. Yes, that would work well. A triumvirate between himself, the Senate, and the Jedi. For an issue to be decided, it would need to get the approval of two. He and the Jddi could discuss things privately, and they could have power.

He wouldn't be able to vote as part of the Jedi or the Senate, but he would have influence in both. He could make sure that the press went against any senatorial opposition to his new rule. Opponent to it would be viewed as power hungry, and they would be forced to choose between siding with Mace or being drowned in shame, losing public support.

Yes, this plan would work well as government, but not forever. Eventually, the Senate will need to be eliminated. All in due time.

2 hours later

Senate Chambers

Status: Unsure

Padmé is very confused about the recent events relating to the Jedi. On one hand, she has always trusted the Jedi, but on the other hand, which Jedi should she trust? She has always considered Mace trustworthy, but she would give Obi-Wan in equal amounts of trust. Anakin, who she trusts more than either of them, is on the fence.

There is also Yoda, who was killed by Mace. Another point towards earning her trust in Obi-Wan. She really doesn't understand all of the Force stuff. Of course, seeing Mace, he is different. His eyes have a hint of yellow. His countenance is even more stern, and even angry. By Anakin's explanation, though, Mace seems very power hungry, and she has to question him.

Especially after the murders. It is hard to forget such actions, and his brutal, merciless tactics did not leave a good impression. Raxus didn't help either.

However, she is still somewhat on the fence, and she wonders why Mace is doing what he is doing. Such a power grab, in this situation, will cost him public support. Why is he doing it? Perhaps he simply lacks the political sense to understand that one cannot simply ask for power like that.

Whatever the case, the Senate is not liking his proposal, for the reason that it puts the Jedi Order in nearly complete control of the galaxy. Since Mace has heavy influence in the Jedi, he is in charge. The only problem in this whole situation is that the Jedi are fairly well-liked.

She is definitely curious to see if the motion will pass, although that desire is strongly outweighed by her desire for it to fail.

From what she can understand, especially from her few conversations with Obi-Wan, Mace and the New Jedi are the new Sith. But, perhaps the best action against them is to stay in the Senate. She needs to fight him in the Senate. She will vote against his new idea.

The debate goes back and forth, Senators blabbering on and on about stuff. Most of them oher side are the corrupt Senators anrgy about losing power, but there are a few who simply believe that it is a bad a idea to have Mace and the Jedi in nearly complete control.

The support to Mace's new plan consists of those who are strongly supportive of the New Jedi, (or just the Jedi in general) and those who are easily bribed. Currently, Senator Taa is talking, he is saying that Mace is doing this because of a personal grudge against the Senate. He seems to be doing more harm than good, and is making there cause look silly.

Then, interrupting Taa, Mace commands silence from the Senators. The holocameras turn towards him, and he says, "Senator Taa, your claims are outrageous. The fact is, you, and most of the Senators going against me, are too concerned with power. You have grown corrupt, and greedy.

You are only in it for yourselves. This is why the Jedi must have more power. The Senate has turned into a bunch of bureaucratic, corrupt, and selfish people." He points to Orn.

"Not to mention obese," he adds, and the Senator simply turns away from the cameras, blushing in embarrassment. "You have too much power," he says, looking to the ever influential Hidlo Sa.

"Not that I blame you. Power can do that to anyone. Well, not anyone. The Jedi have stood strong, mighty, and powerful for a thousand years, but we are still perfectly selfless, keeping the needs of the people in the highest priority. Is this not the kind of leader that the people want?! We we not the kind of leaders that the Republic needs?

Now, the Senate will still have power. I am just as much a member of the Senate just as much as I am a member of the Jedi. The Senate and the Jedi are wise in different ways, and this balance is what the Republic needs to stand tall, and proud. Thank you very much," he says, and much of the Senate applauds. To not applaud would make them look selfish and power hungry.

One hour later

Anakin's quarters, Jedi Temple

Status: Confused

Anakin stares at the holonet blankly, listening to the news report. "Corruption and hunger for power seem to have taken over the Senate," a reporter says, standing outside the Senate Building. "With Chancellor Windu's new proposal being met with firm disagreement and anger, it is clear that the Senate is too hungry for their power. The Jedi are noble beings, as we all know, and they would make much better leaders than the gluttonous bureaucrats in the Senate.

However, most of the Senators refuse to give up their power, as they want control over the Jedi. Most surprising on the list of those against the proposal is Senator Padmé Amidala. She was always respected as a kind, noble, and selfless leader, but she is strongly against this new idea. She claims that the Jedi are not as good as they once were, and she believes that they have been corrupted. This is surprising, given the fact that she strongly supported the Jedi in the past. This is only solidified by the newfound development regarding her relationship with Anakin Skywalker, a powerful Jedi, as we all know. However, it was her who brought Palpatine into power via a vote of No Confidence against former Chancellor Valorum.

She also indirectly gave Palpatine Emergency Powers, by placing Representative Jar Jar Binks as her replacement during a leave of absence on Naboo. Binks, during this absence, gave Palpatine the Emergency Powers. Given that Palpatine is now revealed as an enemy of the Jedi, is it possible that Senator Amidala is secretly an enemy of the Jedi, and supporter of the Sith? More on this later. For now, a word from our sponsors."

Anakin turns it off in disgust. It seems that Mace has gained control of the Holonet. But why is he making a move for power? He and the Jedi, other than him, are discussing something now. An important issue relating to their new power, they say. They can't include him because he is biased in the issue. But, why are they not involving him? And what are they doing? What if...

He needs to spy on them. If he has heavy bias towards the subject, then he definitely wants to know what they are up to. Well, into the ventilation shafts, then. This is sure to end badly, but he wants in on this meeting. He needs to know. What are they up to?


	32. Chapter 32

5 minutes later

Jedi Council Chambers

Status: Calm

Mace smiles as he says, "I, of course, also support this motion to declare war on the 'True Jedi.' Since you have decided to agree as well, it is decided. A task force will be sent to Ilum to eliminate the True Jedi, and the Senate will have no opportunity to leak information. They will all die." He smiles. He finally shall have victory. "And perhaps masters Offee, Vos, and Arana shall lead the troops," Beldor Jesaj says.

"But those are the only masters in the Order, aside from Skywalker, and Windu, unless he is considered a Grand Master," Klaggrakh says. Quinlan Vos, Barriss Offee, and Koffi Arana are now all masters, and the only remaining Knights are Beldor and Klaggrakh, since Artel Darc's death. All knights and masters are currently meeting, except for Anakin. But, wait. Anakin.

He senses Anakin. In the vents. Kriff. This... could get pretty ugly. "Skywalker, you can come out of the vents, now!" he yells.

The only response is hurried crawling away. He opens the vent cover with the Force, and grabs Anakin, pulling him out of the vents. Anakin lands in a crouch, looking at the "Jedi Council" fearfully.

"Well, Anakin. We have some talking to do," Mace says, frowning as he looks at the younger Jedi.

Jedi Council Chambers

Status: Fight or flight instinct kicking in

Anakin looks to the Jedi, trying to figure a way out of this situation. It is good that he now knows that Mace will attack Obi-Wan, but he needs to live long enough to warn Obi-Wan. He stands up, ready to run. "You are under arrest for espionage on the highest levels of government. You will not face a permanent sentence, but you will be kept guard without contact, so that the information you hold will not leak," Mace says, activating his lightsaber.

Well, this is bad. Only one thing to do. He scans the Jedi, looking for a weak member. Klaggrakh. He turns around, and blasts him with telekinetic power. The Gamorrean flies out the window, breaking it as he goes. Perfect.

Anakin leaps toward his newly creating escape route, before anyone can react. He flies over Klagrakh, and is quickly followed by Quinlan, Barriss, Koffi, and Beldor. Mace stands at the edge of the window, but does not jump.

He activates his comlink, signalling Padmé. "Padmé, Mace and the Jedi are going to destroy the True Jedi, and I have four of them," Klaggrakh gets up. "make that five, on my tail right now."

"Where are you?" a confused Padmé asks.

"The Jedi Temple roof," he responds, but then leaps off, onto the area where Mace killed Yoda. After thinking, he says "Make that the front yard of the Jedi Temple."

"Well, do you want to run from Coruscant?" she asks.

"I don't think we have a choice. I will meet you at your landing platform," he says.

"For Obi-Wan," she whispers.

"For Obi-Wan." he responds, as he leaps off the balcony, running out of room, and then onto the top of a speeder bus. The four Jedi leap onto another speeder bus following his, and he decides on a change of plans. He leaps off onto a speeder lot, where he decides that this an okay situation to steel. Not that he has much of a choice.

As he takes off on the fastest one, the other four Jedi get onto another random speeder. They take off, but he has a nice lead, and they are much slower. All too easy. It is then when five Republic gunships get behind him. Oh, kriff.

They drop down, trying to surround him. Time for another change in tactics. He spins his speeder, dodging whatever shots they attempt to hit him with, before also diving down. He suddenly loops upward, in a U-turn. The big, lumbering gunships trying to turn upwards, but once they do, he is long gone. Finally safe, he heads toward Padmé's landing platform.

Padmé's landing pad

Status: Urgent

With Captain Typho finally convinced into leaving Coruscant and abandoning Mace, the Republic, and the New Jedi, Padmé goes onto her landing pad. She and Typho each carry one of the babies, her with Luke, and him with Leia. C-3PO chases them, desperate not to be left behind. She considers carrying him onboard to save time. Or leaving him behind. No, she could never leave 3PO. Anakin gave him to her.

So, as Typho begins the pre-flight checks, and starts the engines, while holding Leia, she waits on the boarding ramp for their droid, with Luke. Eventually, 3PO reaches the ramp, and she closes it. She is going to wait for Anakin, but if Mace is after him, he might send someone to take her out, and she would like to take off, and fight them.

As she heads to the cockpit, she carefully looks around for incoming Republic ships. Oh, how things have changed. For several moments, there is peace, setting aside "Wait, look over there!" Typho says, pointing to the left part of their viewport. Seven gunships are coming at them, flying in attack formation.

"Umm, any ideas?" she asks, knowing that dogfight would be suicide.

"Fly away!" 3PO yells, and she nods. If they want to stay alive, they will need to retreat, and come back. Typho takes off, and she tries to think of something, anything, that could give them a chance at surviving long enough to escape. She thinks, but comes up with nothing. There is simply no way that they could hold off long enough for Anakin to arrive.

Even if Anakin could make it in a minute, which would be a best case scenario, it would still be too hard to hold them off that long. She would never leave him, so how could they get going faster?

That gives her an idea. She turns on the comlink and contacts Anakin. "Anakin, where are you?"

The response given back is, "I am passing the Depeoc Cassino now, and I'm in an airspeeder."

Wow, he is doing great. "We are in some trouble, and I think that we will need to pick you up. Typho, head in te direction of the Depeoc Cassino. Anakin, keep going, and we will met up with you," she says, thinking quickly.

Anakin responds with an affirmative, as Typho spins the ship to dodge an incoming barrage of missiles. "You do realize that that will bring us toward the gunships!" he says.

"We have no choice," is her only response, and Typho obeys. He continues evasive maneuvers as he heads toward the gunships, as they head towards him. A lucky shot hits, but the shields absorb it. They go down to 80 percent.

As they near a point where Anakin will soon be arriving, she says, "Open the boarding ramp, and get ready pull up on my mark!" She straps Luke into his seat, and heads towards the back, where the boarding ramp is. As it opens, she has to hold on tightly to a support beam to prevent herself from falling off, especially with Typho's maneuvering.

Finally, she sees Anakin coming at them, and he turns around so that he is chasing them, ready to leap on. Typho turns the ship around, and she realizes that the gunships have now engaged in a dogfight with with them. Anakin tries to follow, but his speeder is slower, and he is struggling with their maneuvers. "Straighten out!" she yells.

She is rewarded with a straight path, and a hit that rocks the ship. As it shakes, she loses her grip, and is sent flying off the boarding ramp, falling towards the depths of Coruscant. A moment later, she is in Anakin's speeder. That was lucky. They look at eachother, and it seems that Anakin is just as surprised as she is. But, there is no time to lose. Her comlink rings. "Padmé, shields are down!" Typho yells.

Anakin suddenly gets out his grappling hook, and in a stunning display of skill, fires it at the boarding ramp, and connects. "Get out of here, Typho," Anakin yells into the comlink. "But keep the boarding ramp open!" he yells. Typho obeys. The ship suddenly pulls up, carrying Anakin and Padmé with it. The gunships try to shoot it down, but the maneuver surprised them, and the nimble Nubian Fighter evades the attacks. Slowly, the couple dangling beneath its boarding ramp gets closer and closer, until they are inside, at which point they shut the ramp.

"We made it," is all that she manages to say as the ship starts to enter space.

"Not yet," Typho says, pointing to the Republic fleet above the planet.

2 minutes later

Bridge of Republic Cruiser Invincible, Flagship of the Home Defense Fleet

Status: Just another day at work

Admiral Charrel watches as the gleaming silver Nubian Yacht leaps to hyperspace. Another ship passed through, another minute of work done with. It always nice clearing a Senator, since they really just pass him their code for diplomatic immunity, and off they go. Not that really matters to him anyway. As Admiral, he doesn't do anything except stand around and give orders if fighting starts. Now, he just tells his men to follow standard procedure with letting ships through, and stands there.

He was actually asleep when Grievous attacked, since that was the only thing he did other than eating or standing around. Now that was a rude awakening, when the ship's captain got him up mid nap so he could command the fleet. Then, the one thing that provides a break in his schedule occurs: a communication. This one seems to be from Chancellor Windu. What might he want to say? Whatever it is, hearing it will probably be less boring than standing around, not mention more legal. When somebody high up contacts you, you answer it.

So, he answers it, smiling as he salutes Windu. "Admiral," Windu greets, a stern look on his face.

"Chancellor," he returns, still smiling.

"I am contacting you to warn you about something very important. Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala have revealed themselves as traitors to the Republic. We are hunting them on the surface now, but if they manage to escape, be ready. Stop them, but keep them alive," Mace orders.

"Umm, ahh..." is all that can say, as he tries to put his action into words. It wasn't his fault. How was he supposed to know?

"You did not just..." Mace says, a very angry look appearing as he says his vague threat.

"It wasn't my fau-" he begins, but he never finishes the sentence. Mace's eyes change color, although he can't what color they are in the hologram. His arm extends, and makes a motion with his hand as if he is grabbing a small object.

His throat tightens, and he can no longer breath. He grabs his neck, as if attempting to pull it back into a normal position, but is helpless to do anything. The pressure increases, and the last thing he ever sees is Mace's angry, hateful face.

30 seconds later

Aboard Padmé's J Type Nubian Yacht

Status: Stunned

"I can't believe that we actually survived that," Typho says, once Luke and Leia are finally calmed down from all his maneuvers that occurred about 3 minutes ago.

"It would have been nice to have a backup plan," Anakin responds. It is definitely true. They have no shields remaining, and they would not stand a chance against the Republic fleet. However, Mace, in his overconfidence, never told the fleet of their new allegiances, and they got out easily.

Now in hyperspace, heading for empty space, they are safe. It was really just a jump to get them out of Coruscanti airspace, because when they contact Obi-Wan, it could be tracked. Their velocity could be easily discovered, and as such, their trajectory, so once they finish the communication, they will have to exit hyperspace, and plot a new course, as they try to find a place to either lie low, or find Obi-Wan. But now, they need to contact him, and tell the important news.

Anakin wonders how he should start the conversation. Would being straight to the point be a little awkward? No, it would be fine. "Obi-Wan, I discovered that Mace is going to attack you, and Padmé and I have left Coruscant. We are going to lay low until we can meet up," he says, and Obi-Wan responds by simply saying, "I will order the evacuation."


	33. Chapter 33

I am so sorry for how long it has taken for me to get this chapter out! I might try to get monthly updates for the during the school year, but I can't really promise anything. I am still planning on finishing this story and its sequels, but the time frame has been greatly delayed.

True Jedi Camp, Ilum

Status: Worried

Obi-Wan sighs as he ends the communication. Well, that is just great. It is hard enough running a vaguely defined Order with no sustainable income, but now Mace has declared war in them. It is was inevitable, but why did it have to be now? He is almost entirely in charge of logistics in their Order, since he is the Grand Master, and this whole thing is his idea. He is ready for this moment, and has three passenger carriers from Senator Chuchi ready to go.

Praying that he will not regret his decision, he turns on the mass communicator. "Members of the True Jedi," he begins, as his words are echoed throughout the camp with various speakers.

"The time has finally come, and Chancellor Windu has declared war on us. It is time to begin the evacuation. You know which ship you are assigned to, so therefore, begin loading your ship. Masters Koon, Fisto, and Mundi, please come to me, as you have been assigned as leaders of your respective ships," he says, turning the device off once he is done.

Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, and Ki-Adi-Mundi arrive shortly after he finishes. Once they sit down, he says, "I wanted to discuss this privately, so that way the New Jedi will find no evidence of it while searching this base. I have picked a location for our rendezvous, and main fleet location. A fallback base, per se. You will bring your ships into these coordinates." He hands them each a datapad with a set of coordinates written in. "That... that is inside the Maw," Plo says, looking carefully at the numbers.

"Precisely. I have discovered that within the Maw, it is somehow separated in the Force from the rest of the galaxy. I can use the Force just fine in there, but when I was inside during a mission while I was a padawan, I could not sense Qui-Gon, who was outside. He could not sense me, either," he explains.

"Like in hyperspace?" Mundi asks. That is true. Hyperspace, in some ways, is like another dimension, and while someone is in it, they cannot sense things in realspace. The same occurs vice versa.

"Somewhat. It is different, though. It is like... chaos. Try to sense into the Maw right now," he says.

They all close their eyes, and extend the presence of the Force into the Maw. "I cannot sense anything," Fisto says. "There is chaos. Like the Force is all jumbled up."

"It is perfectly fine inside the Maw, but it seems to be impossible to sense into it from the outside world," he says.

"A group of thousands of Force users would be easy to sense, but once we enter hyperspace, we would disappear until we enter realspace. But once enter realspace, we would be in the Maw, so it would be like we completely vanished," Plo says, stroking his mask.

"You are very clever, Master Kenobi," Fisto says, using his trademark smile.

"So, you bring your ships there, and I will meet up with you in about four days," he says.

"Where are you going?" Ki-Adi asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going to find Anakin. You see, we already scheduled a place to meet eachother," he says, smiling.

"And when did you do that?" Fisto inquires.

"After Padmé and Anakin had their babies, he and I decided to meet Padmé's family. We scheduled a time to meet just a couple days ago, and it should pay off," he says.

They just sigh.

About 5 hours later

True Jedi Camp, Ilum

Status: Empty

Republic general Andar Osk surveys the "True Jedi" camp. Originally, the attack was going to be lead by Jedi, but once the True Jedi found out of their plans via spies Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, speed was of the essence. They sent their closest fleet to Ilum, which meant him, as he patrolled over Kalee.

His fleet was too late. The True Jedi are gone. All of their valuables have been taken. The databases have been taken, so as to leave no information for them. All that is left are empty tents, random trinkets, and dysfunctioning appliances. They are too late. He has failed. It was no fault of his. The fleet was simply too far away. The Jedi left too fast for them. But who else is to blame?

Mace doesn't exactly have a good reputation in terms of mercy, or so he has heard. He has lived a good life. Served the Republic for years. Brought forth his fair share of justice. Win some medals. Had a family. A good life, one could say. One that is over now. And to be honest, death by constriction doesn't seem to appealing. Clones are still futilely searching the camp for something of value. He points to one. "Hey, you there!"

The clone turns to face him. "Could you hand me your blaster?" he asks.

"Yes, sir." Oh, clones. Never questioning orders. Just doing. It's what makes a good soldier. Not what makes a good commander. A good commander is one can think.

One who can predict. One who knows defeat. This is defeat. This is the end. He takes the blaster. "Tell my children I died honorably," he says.

Even as he points the blaster at his forehead and squeezes the trigger, he can still hear the clone say, "Yes sir." In his heart, somehow, he knows that that clone will obey his final order. Nobody reacts in time to have a chance of stopping him.

3 hours later

Mace's quarters, Jedi Temple

Status: Angry

Mace never had much need for material possessions. He is a Jedi, after all. It is only fitting for him to have a lavish Chancellor's office for his duties in the Senate, but as a Jedi, he sticks with his simple quarters. They have changed, though. It is dark. There is no light, there is no window. It is a representation of his beliefs in the Dark Side. There is still his meditation chair, still his bed. But it has new... residents. Dark Side artifacts. Sith holocrons, Sith scrolls, and Sith artifacts. Sure, the Sith are evil, but they offer valuable insights into the Dark Side. So he studies the artifacts.

He basks in the glory of the Dark, for just a second, but then returns to his true purpose of being here. The True Jedi are gone. Anakin has betrayed him. One of his commanders has committed suicide. He must find them. Find Anakin, find Obi-Wan, find the babies. Anger, he feels anger. He is angry at them. The artifacts amplify his anger.

His anger amplifies himself. Where are they? The rest of the True Jedi seem to be gone, perhaps in hyperspace. But there are four presences. Obi-Wan. Anakin. Luke. Leia. They are fighting his search. Natural instincts, force shields, whatever, one wishes to call them, seem to resist his search. You will reveal your location. They are together.

He needs more power. He grabs the Talisman of Hatred, and clutches it tightly. He can feel his hatred building. Growing. Reaching. He pushes against the mental barriers. You will let me find you.

Now they are actively preventing him from finding them. Fighting back. The babies are crying. You. Will. Show. Me. He pushes harder. YOU! WILL! SHOW! ME! They fight back. Where are they? Such presences are easy to find, but when they are so determined to not reveal themselves, it is harder.

He focuses his attack on Luke, trying to push beyond his mental barriers. Obi-Wan and Anakin work to strengthen Luke's power with their own. Where are you? He still cannot find them. He tries to see what they see. What is near them. People. Familiar. But who? He searches his mind, they somehow ring a bell. He can't keep searching any longer. He is running out of energy. The Talisman itself seems to be disintegrating. He ends the search.

Where could they be? The people, they are familiar. The family of... Padmé. He calls for Quinlan, desperately holding on to consciousness. As soon as he enters, Mace says, "I found Kenobi and Skywalker. On Naboo. Naberrie residence."

"Master Windu, are you..." Quinlan begins.

Mace's world starts to spin. He has only seconds before he loses consciousness. "Kill them," he manages, and his world starts to fade away. He wonders how long he will be out.

20 minutes later

Council chambers, Jedi Temple

Status: Glad

"Master Windu seemed to have performed some sort of Dark Side ritual that discovered the locations of Skywalker and Kenobi," Vos says, still enjoying the relatively new feeling of sitting in a Jedi Council chair. "He has told me that they are on Naboo, but I could sense that the ritual had drained his energy. His last words as he slipped into unconsciousness was to kill them."

The Council nods, not entirely unsurprised. Mace's power has increased greatly now that he has accepted the Dark Side.

"Then I think that we can do it. I presume that this Council is united in the decision to kill Kenobi and Skywalker?" Barriss Offee says, considering her own personal grudge towards Skywalker, who caused her imprisonment. Nobody offers any disagreement.

"Very well. I think that we have a fleet near that area, so we should be able to take them down," she adds.

"An orbital bombardment should do the trick," Koffi Arana comments.

"Certainly. It is time to give them the order," Vos says, then adds, "as we have wasted enough time already."

About 1 hour later

Naberrie Household

Status: Happy socialization

"Anakin, I know this socialization with your family is great, but remember when Windu tried to find out where we were? Invade our minds so that he could find us in the Force?" Obi-Wan asks.

"Yes, of course I remember!" Anakin mutters, rolling his eyes.

"I wonder... do you think he might have found us?" he says.

"I don't think he did," Anakin replies.

"But what if he did? The galaxy is not safe for us now, and we need to rendezvous with the rest of the Jedi. It is safe there," Obi-Wan practically begs.

"Just a little more time," Anakin says, sighing.

"Okay, but soon we need to leave. The Republic might be converging on us as we speak."

30 minutes later

Aboard Padmé's J Type Nubian Yacht

Status: Stressed

"I wish we didn't to leave so early, but I understand your precautions," Padmé comments as she steers the ship through the atmosphere.

"Indeed. But the Republic might be hunting us and..." Obi-Wan begins, but he trails off.

"What is it?"

"I sense something..." is all he manages to to say, before they get beyond the clouds, and see three Venator Class Republic Cruisers.

"Let me take over!" Anakin says, and nobody argues as he takes over. He is by far the best pilot of the three of them.

Bridge of Venator Class Republic Cruiser Fury

Status: Intense

"Wait, that ship reads the ID of Senator Amidala's ship," Admiral Dofaar mutters, looking at a viewscreen.

"Launch all fighters, and focus all firepower on that ship. I do NOT want to give them any chance of escaping," he says, looking to his crew, and relaying the orders over the comm.

Aboard Pamdé's ship

Status: Concerned

"Well, I will take all those fighters as a complement. They want to make sure we get deep fried real nicely, and they are not taking any chances," Anakin says, looking at all of the danger coming at them.

"We need to get past those cruisers if we want any chance of making it to hyperspace," Obi-Wan says, looking at the various screens showing the status of the ship along with other information.

"We need a good plan if we want to get out of this," Obi-Wan says.

"Not just a good plan, a Skywalker plan," Padmé adds.

"Convenient. I happen to be an expert in those," he retorts.

"Do you have one this time?"

"Ummm... sort of."


	34. Chapter 34

For anyone who is still actually reading this story after such a long wait, wow! Anyhow, major news update: I am rather excited about a canon story that I am going to write, taking the perspective of a stormtrooper in the waning days of the Empire. I have kind of lost the excitement of writing this AU, but I don't want to leave you guys hanging. So, while this story remains sadly unfinished, I would like to give you all a plot summary for what the rest of the series would be.

Book 1: Fall

This book would have had about nine more chapters. They would consist of Anakin and Padmé joining the True Jedi in the Maw. The True Jedi eventually get the idea to reprogram and reactivate the CIS droid army and use it to declare war. Many of the former CIS systems are already fed up with Mace at this point, and want liberation. After a lot of action and chaos, the True Jedi, in the end, get the army activated and serving them. Mace's clones are spread too thin, and the droids are too concentrated, so the True Jedi gain a lot of territory. Many planets, even former Republic ones, consider Mace's "triumvirate" of Jedi, Senate and Chancellor to be a form of dictatorship, and join the True Jedi army. Maul joins Mace's cause, and becomes the highest ranking New Jedi, second only to Mace.

Book 2: Inferno

War between the New and True Jedi. Not too much significant happenings, until, at the very end of the book, when Mace finds, buried in the depths of Palpatine's old files, the droid deactivation codes. Order 66 all over again, the surviving Jedi return to the Maw. Most are killed, but Anakin and Obi-Wan survive. Mace declares himself Emperor, with the New Jedi serving him, and the Senate executed. (cause why not)

Book 3: Gamble

23 years after "Inferno," the Death Star is completed, and Mace decides to make a huge gamble. Bringing himself, Maul, and much of his high ranking people onto the Death Star, he spreads rumors that the Death Star is going to destroy Mon Cala. (This has been a troublesome planet, with plenty of resistance.) Rebel operations have been very secret, the True Jedi have been simply waiting idly in the Maw. Anakin has trained Luke, and Obi-Wan has trained Leia. Everybody knows it's a trap, but considers it their best chance to strike. Mace and Maul know the risks as well, but also see it as their best chance to bring the True Jedi out of hiding and crush Rebel operations once and for all. Boba Fett joins the attack, still angry at Mace because of Jango's death. The True Jedi attack with plans to sabotage, and basically I write around ten chapters of utter chaos. In the end: Mace and Maul survive, the Death Star is destroyed. Mon Cala is destroyed as well. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Luke, and about half the random Jed survive. Leia is captured. The other half of the random Jedi are killed. Finding Maul old and incompetent, Mace wants a new apprentice in Leia. She, however, is very strong willed and does not succumb at all to the Dark Side. Mace feels Luke might be a better option. Luke can feel Leia's pain as she is tortured by Mace, but Anakin tells him that it is foolish to attempt a rescue. Luke runs off anyway. (The parallels are real) Luke fails miserably, but finds himself taken to a remote fortress, where he is held prisoner by none other than... Maul. Maul reveals that he wishes to overthrow Mace and rule, and he feels Luke might be a good ally. Luke agrees, and they plan to rescue Leia, then have the three of them kill Mace. Since the strongest rule, they would earn the throne. Maul trains Luke in the Dark Side, telling him that it is necessary. Luke realizes that he is more powerful, and accepts the training. They do indeed rescue Leia, but she immediately chastises Luke, realizing that he has fallen to the Dark Side. Things escalate, and Luke eventually battles and kills Leia. Once he finishes dealing with Leia, he finds Maul dead at Mace's hands. (Mace arrived unnoticed during their battle) Mace reveals that Maul served him the entire time, but that now Maul has served his purpose. Having killed Leia, Luke believes the Jedi would not welcome him back, and joins Mace. Luke and Mace go to hunt down Anakin and Obi-Wan in the Maw. Mace battles Obi-Wan, and Luke battles Anakin. They separate, each duo moving into a separate part of the ship. Both battle with words. Mace easily overwhelms Kenobi once the old Jedi fails to sway him back. Luke is defeated by Anakin, but Anakin believes that killing Luke would bring him to the Dark Side. Anakin, using an old ritual, separates himself from the Force and runs away from the Maw. He lives his remaining days as a sad hermit, before eventually dying of old age. Mace rules with Luke at his side.

I know Inferno doesn't have a lot of "meat" to it, but I hope you enjoyed finding out what was going to happen.


End file.
